States Set to Sue the U.S. Over Greenhouse Gases

dnormant writes to tell us The New York Times is reporting that more than a dozen states are gearing up to sue the Bush administration for holding up efforts to regulate automobile emissions. "The move comes as New York and other Northeastern states are stepping up their push for tougher regulation of greenhouse gases as part of their continuing opposition to President Bush's policies. On Wednesday, Gov. Eliot Spitzer's administration is to issue regulations requiring power plants to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions, part of a broader plan among 10 Northeastern states, known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, to move beyond federal regulators in Washington and regulate such emissions on their own."

Comments

Re:Six Month Notice

[rrkap]

As for states suing the Feds to force auto manufacturers to decrease emissions, why don't they just do it themselves? California has strict emission control policies. Why can't the rest of these states.

That isn't how air quality regulations work. Under the Clean Air Act, setting auto emissions standards is the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government. However, because California had stricter emissions standards in place when the Clean Air Act was first passed, California (and only California) was granted a waiver to set its own standards which can be adopted by other states if they choose. This waiver doesn't apply to vehicular CO2 emissions. California (with other states) has already won a suit saying that EPA must grant such a waiver, however EPA has not done so. Thus, they are suing again, this time asking the court to order EPA to do so immediately.

As things currently stand, no state can regulate tailpipe CO2 emissions. When California wins their lawsuit, then states will be able to choose weather to follow CA CO2 regulations or to follow the Federal do-nothing approach.

Re:Six Month Notice

[c6gunner]

Notice how the writer dismisses the efforts as being part of the states' "continuing opposition to President Bush's policies"? It couldn't be because they are sick of nothing being done about greenhouse emissions.

Exactly, it couldn't! That's why you'll never see democrat dominated states suing a democrat president. It simply wouldn't happen.

My guess? Now that Iraq is starting to look better, they need something new to hammer Bush with, lest he actually start to make gains in his approval ratings.

Fortunately, the real numbers don't break down that way. By far most Americans believe that greenhouse emissions caused by humans are causing global warming. Most Americans want the War in Iraq to end now and the troops brought home. Most Americans believe George Bush has done a terrible job.

Most Americans think Oswald didn't assasinate JFK. Almost half of Americans think UFO's visited the earth. And the vast majority of Americans beleive in God, Heaven, Angels, Miracles, Hell, and the Devil, and not in a figurative sense.

You know what? Most people are fucking stupid. There's a reason why "most Americans" don't get to make policy.

I can understand that the Right has beaten the Media to death, but it doesn't excuse them losing their courage completely.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh God...

*wipes tear*

Thanks, man, up to that point I thought you were serious :) Now I realize you're just a really gifted parodist. You rock!

Re:One problem with this plan

[scatters]

Reuters would seem to disagree with your second statement; ranking the US as the fifth highest per capita emissions. I'd have no problem believing that the US has the highest total emissions, but I'm too lazy to look it up.

http://www.reutersinteractive.com/CarbonNews/73074

BTW, thanks for raising the quality of this thread.