Throughout the Bush administration, it was blatantly obvious who was really in control of the EPA. Here in Oregon this was especially obvious, as the national forests that define us were callously put up for auction and sold to the highest bidder. An article published in April, 2008 by J.R. Pegg is worth quoting at length:
"The Bush administration has frequently meddled with scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a survey released today by a scientific advocacy group. The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that nearly two-thirds of the 1,586 staff EPA scientists who responded to a questionnaire complained of recent political interference with their work...The survey reports concern by agency scientists over political meddling with EPA's scientific assessments of climate change and with the science supporting regulation of mercury and other air pollutants."
When looking at the Bush administration’s penchant for lying, deceiving and manipulating the public, it is no surprise that the aforementioned study came to those conclusions. But now, with a new administration comes a revitalized EPA, and a fresh outlook.
Yesterday an article by Jennifer Dlhouhy in the San Francisco Chronicle detailed a rejuvenated EPA, one that lives up to the once laughable title. This ‘new’ EPA is on the verge of declaring carbon dioxide (CO2) a ‘dangerous pollutant’, reversing a previous EPA ruling under the Bush administration.
All I can say is, finally.
While congress stalls on the issue, pushing the climate change bill back yet again, this time to the end of September, the EPA is actually making something happen. The move is designed to give a solid goad Capitol Hill into action, as business interests will no doubt be clamoring for action now that a ‘top down’ approach, which is blind to the needs of the economy and businesses.
While the House barely passed a climate-change bill in June, the Senate has been dragging its feet on the issue. While this can be partly attributed to Senator John Kerry’s hip surgery and the death of Ted Kennedy, these are paltry excuses for delaying an issue of this importance. I think the late Mr. Kennedy would agree.
As a result of this inaction, the EPA has taken the reigns of the situation. In April, the agency proposed declaring carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants dangerous to the public. Now that a precursory 60-day publc comment period is over, the EPA can institute the change at its own discretion. Now that is some leverage.
Of course, legislators, EPA officials, and business interests alike would prefer to see Congress at the forefront of implementing these changes. Congress is much more suited, and predisposed, to cater to the needs of the economy as well as the environment, thereby reducing the total impact to its most manageable level. And this is necessary. But if Congress cant get it done, someone has to.
In 2007, while still gripped by the talons of the Bush administration, the Supreme Court ruled that greenhouse gases qualified as pollutants. Additionally, the ruling stipulated that if the government found that the gases were harmful to the public, they could be regulated. Now, two years and countless tons of greenhouse gases later, the EPA has finally taken that crucial step towards sustainability.
Cheers to you EPA, if you can’t hear it, my lungs are clapping.
Sources used-
Image courtesy of-
http://www.newraleigh.com/images/articles/stacks.jpg
EPA to declare CO2 a dangerous pollutant-
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/31/MNM219GIJD.DTL
Bush Administration: Carbon Dioxide Not A Pollutant-
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0829-02.htm
Survey Finds Bush Administration Interfering With EPA Scientists-
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2008/2008-04-24-10.asp
