Congress wouldn't. The Administration did: US climate agency declares CO2 public danger

[cali]

Environmental Protection Agency declaration allows it to impose emissions cuts without agreement of reluctant Senate


The Obama administration adopted its climate change plan B today, formally declaring carbon dioxide a public danger so that it can cut greenhouse gas emissions even without the agreement of a reluctant Senate.

The timing of the announcement – in the opening hours of the UN's Copenhagen climate change summit – prevents Barack Obama from arriving at the talks without concrete evidence that America will do its bit to cut the emissions that cause global warming.

"Climate change has now become a household issue," said Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), adding that the evidence of climate change was real and increasingly alarming. "This administration will not ignore science or the law any longer, nor will we ignore the responsibility we owe to our children and our grandchildren."

The announcement gives the EPA a legal basis for capping emissions from major sources such as coal power plants, as well as cars. Jackson said she hoped it would help to spur a deal in Copenhagen.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/07/us-climate-carbon-emissions-danger

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[cali]

1. I'm surprised that there are no threads, no discussion here

about the strongest move re global warming that our go't has ever made.

[sharp_stick]

2. I'm not

the way this place place has become overrun by obama sucks threads I'm always surprised when I see a positive thread.

BTW I agree about the strongest move, I think this is likely the first good solid step forward the United States has made.

It's great to finally see an Administration that believes in science instead of prayer groups to form policy on things like global climate change.

[cali]

4. well, sure and I understand the anger at Obama but

this is a huge deal and I thought most DUers were really interested in this topic.

[sharp_stick]

7. So did I

and I'm really happy to see that Obama decided to move on without waiting for Congress to pull their collective heads out of their asses on the issue.

Perhaps it was all the idiotic press that the stolen emails got, they finally realized that Congress was going to drag it's feet on this just as long as they could.

[Viking12]

3. K & R

[yurbud]

5. that's good news--maybe the Dems and Obama were waiting for GOP and DLC

to go on Christmas break before they did anything good.

[cali]

6. From what I've read, Obama didn't believe we could afford to wait

until Congress did something and didn't believe Congressional action would come soon enough.

[ThomCat]

8. This is wonderful!

I expected this much sooner, but better late than not at all. Isn't it best to implement a plan as policy and then set it in stone as law at your leisure afterward? Why wait for the slow process of lawmakers for anything urgent.