Earth Equity News

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations, But Were Afraid To Ask. By David Roberts, Grist, September 15, 2009. "Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA has the authority and the obligation to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. At a stroke, the politics of climate change were changed. The choice was no longer between legislation or no legislation -- it was between legislation or regulation. One way or another, climate pollution would be controlled by a federal program. Most experts agree that EPA regulations will be complex and somewhat unwieldy... Democratic Senators are openly expressing skepticism whether a bill can pass this year. Health care may drag on into winter and push it off the agenda; it could fracture into smaller bills; most likely, it simply won't find enough Blue Dog support to overcome a threatened conservative filibuster. At least at the moment, the smart money is on no climate/energy bill this year. That means EPA regulations are suddenly germane again, though chances are high that 99.99% of Americans will continue to find the subject inscrutable and boring… Consider this post an effort to describe, in plain language, What the Deal Is with EPA Regulations. There will be acronyms... but also pictures of bunnies!"