by Ashley Zeigler and Dan Frankel
This summer's heat wave drove global warming home for many
Pennsylvanians and melted away the stubborn skepticism of others. The
National Academy of Sciences reported in September that the planet's
temperature has climbed to levels not seen in thousands of years. Even
conservative broadcaster Pat Robertson admitted that the heat wave made
him a believer in global warming.
What
is the Bush administration doing about this problem? In late September,
the Bush administration announced its ''strategic plan'' to address
global warming, which fails to require any reduction in global warming
pollution, let alone achieve the cuts necessary to avoid the worst
impacts of global warming. Somewhat ironically, on the heels of this
announcement, the journal Nature revealed that the administration
blocked release of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
report suggesting that global warming is contributing to the frequency
and strength of hurricanes.
As
if blocking reports wasn't enough, the Bush administration is also
putting up roadblocks for states trying to take real and immediate
action to cut global warming pollution from cars and light trucks.
The
Clean Air Act allows states to choose between complying with federal
vehicle emission standards and adopting the more protective standards
implemented by the state of California. In late 2004, California
adopted new standards requiring cars and light-duty trucks to limit
emissions that contribute to global warming. Last month, these
standards, in the form of the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program,
cleared their final hurdles for adoption in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania
has now joined 10 other states — California, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and
Washington — at the vanguard of the fight against global warming.
These
state programs will have a measurable impact. In Pennsylvania, the
program would cut annual emissions of global warming pollution from
cars and trucks by nearly 25 percent by 2025. There has been tremendous
public support for the program in Pennsylvania — roughly 4,800
Pennsylvanians commented in support of the Clean Vehicles Program this
summer. This overwhelming support helped the Clean Vehicles Program to
survive an attempt by some Pennsylvania legislators to block its
implementation.
So
what's the problem? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
been sitting on California's application for a waiver under the Clean
Air Act, which will permit Pennsylvania and other states to require
stricter global warming emission standards for new vehicles. The
outcome of this decision has a direct impact on Pennsylvania's own
ability to take steps against air pollution and global warming. Without
the Bush administration's stamp of approval, Pennsylvania will not be
able to take this important step toward cutting global warming
pollution from tailpipes.
Global
warming will have profound impacts on Pennsylvania, including increased
flooding, more heat-related deaths, and more unhealthy air days. The
Bush administration's failure to grant this simple waiver is more than
just a bureaucratic power play — it marks a clear decision to cater to
powerful corporate interests over the future of Pennsylvania's quality
of life and public health.
Global
warming demands immediate action. The Bush administration should grant
the waiver requested by Pennsylvania and 10 other states and give
states the power to cut global warming pollution from cars and light
trucks.
Ashley
Zeigler is a field associate for PennEnvironment, an advocacy group
based in Philadelphia. State Rep. Dan Frankel is a Democrat from
Pittsburgh.
