Finding that Global Warming Pollution Poses
Threat Comes as Congress Considers Action
Philadelphia, PA – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
released a proposed finding that carbon dioxide and other global
warming pollutants, which come mostly from burning fossil fuels, are a
threat to public health and welfare.
"'Duh' may not be a scientific term, but it applies here," said Nathan
Willcox, Energy & Clean Air Advocate for PennEnvironment. "Today,
common sense prevailed over pressure from Big Oil and other big
polluters, and EPA has embraced the basic facts on global warming that
scientists around the world have acknowledged for years. We applaud
President Obama and EPA Administrator Jackson for putting science back
in its rightful place at the forefront of environmental policy."
Two years ago, the Supreme Court ordered the EPA to determine if global
warming pollution threatens public health or welfare – a conclusion
supported by a worldwide scientific consensus. Today’s action comes in
response to that decision and sets the stage for the EPA to take
long-overdue steps to reduce global warming pollution from cars, power
plants, and other large pollution sources under the Clean Air Act.
"Reducing global warming pollution to the levels demanded by the
science will drive the creation of a clean energy economy, put
Pennsylvanians back to work in clean energy jobs, and spare our
children and grandchildren and the world they’ll inherit from the
ravages of global warming," said Willcox.
The following is the timeline leading up to today’s decision:
-
1999: EPA was first petitioned to regulate global warming
pollutants from new cars and light trucks under the Clean Air Act.
-
2003: The Bush EPA denied the petition.
-
April 2007: The Supreme Court rejected the Bush EPA’s reasons for
denying the petition.
-
December 2007: The Bush EPA prepared a proposal finding that
global warming pollutants endanger public welfare, but the White House
did not allow the proposal to be released.
Today's announcement came on the eve of subcommittee hearings next week
in Congress for the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy & Security
Act, legislation which would cut global warming pollution in the U.S.
to the levels called for by scientists, while advancing the clean
energy solutions necessary to achieve those pollution reductions.
