Two Powerful Blows Against Air Pollution Controls

The NYTimes reports from Washington on two separate actions on Friday that, between them, have halted Bush administration clean-air initiatives in their tracks. The current administration is no favorite of environmental groups, but these groups sided with the administration in a court case brought by the utility companies. On Friday an appeals court threw out the EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule, established in 2005. The court ruled that the EPA had exceeded its authority when it established that rule, which set new requirements for major pollutants. According to the article, even the utilities were appalled to see the rule completely gutted; their objections had been narrower. Here is a podcast with the reporter (MP3) giving some background on the ruling. The second major blow to clean-air efforts came later in the day on Friday. Quoting: "...the EPA chief rejected any obligation to regulate heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide under existing law, saying that to do so would involve an 'unprecedented expansion' of the agency's authority that would have 'a profound effect on virtually every sector of the economy,' touching 'every household in the land.'... In effect, Mr. Johnson was simultaneously publishing the policy analysis of his scientific and legal experts and repudiating its conclusions."

Comments

Take my Hummer Out for a Ride

[zenmaster666]

I think I will make the best of this, take my HUMMER out for a ride.

Re:Take my Hummer Out for a Ride

[MacDork]

I've heard of karma whoring, but karma hedging?

Re:Take my Hummer Out for a Ride

[680x0]

Hmmm... I wonder if anyone has won just such a Nobel Prize recently.

Re:Take my Hummer Out for a Ride

[easyTree]

Let's take a poll and treat the result as conclusive. 'Cause that's all that matters. The physical processes underway don't matter. If we can have a popularity-contest say it's not happening, then it's not. There's no place for scientists using The Scientific Method to try to understand these physical processes... If we want hummers and cowboy hats, we can bribe the media to make the earth stop doing what it's doing. After all, everyone's entitled to their opinion, arent' they? Just because you have scientific evidence, doesn't mean you can make me or my countrymen believe it if we don't want to. Yee-haw! If I want to help destroy the climate for everyone, I'm entitled to. You do your thing, I'll do mine.. endless stream of stupdity continues..

Re:Take my Hummer Out for a Ride

[HRH King Lerxst]

I don't think H2s cost $100k...more like $50k...and now....I think you can get them for less than a gallon of gas.

Envorcing pollution protection at the household?

[Centurix]

Every American should be fitted with a government issued flatulence belt and sphincter funnel.

Re:Envorcing pollution protection at the household

[$RANDOMLUSER]

Every American should be fitted with a government issued flatulence belt and sphincter funnel.

Sorry, the IRS is already up my ass.

/me

[Forrest Kyle]

buys stock in the gas mask industry...

Someone update Wikipedia

[ZuluZero]

EPA == Establishment Protection Agency

Re:Strange logic

[Anonymous Coward]

Being a stupid American, I don't know what BRIC is. Therefore, I'll stick to bashing Americans since I know they exist.

Re:Unprecedented expansion indeed

[Tubal-Cain]

If you have the power to declare any substance whatsoever to be a pollutant, and then to heavily regulate its release.

I propose that lobbyists be declared a pollutant.

Re:why even try to get anything done right now

[Russ Nelson]

Uhhhhh..... you DO realize that bicyclists exhale CO2, right?

Communism version of Godwin's Law.

[arstchnca]

God, you aren't helping your case.