Madison, WI – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a proposed finding that carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants, which come mostly from burning fossil fuels, are a threat to public health and welfare.
“‘Duh’ may not be a scientific term, but it applies here. Today, common sense prevailed over pressure from Big Oil and other big polluters to deny the obvious in order to maintain the status quo on energy. EPA has embraced the basic facts on global warming that scientists around the world have acknowledged for years. We applaud President Obama and EPA Administrator Jackson for putting science back in its rightful place at the forefront of environmental policy,” said Wisconsin Environment Director Dan Kohler.
Two years ago, the Supreme Court ordered the EPA to determine if global warming pollution threatens public health or welfare – a conclusion supported by a worldwide scientific consensus. Today’s action comes in response to that decision and sets the stage for the EPA to take long-overdue steps to reduce global warming pollution from cars, power plants, and other large pollution sources under the Clean Air Act.
“Reducing global warming pollution to the levels demanded by the science will drive the creation of a clean energy economy, put Americans back to work in clean energy jobs, and spare our children and grandchildren and the world they’ll inherit from the ravages of global warming,” said Kohler.
The following is the timeline leading up to today’s decision:
- 1999: EPA was first petitioned to regulate global warming pollutants from new cars and light trucks under the Clean Air Act.
- 2003: The Bush EPA denied the petition.
- April 2007: The Supreme Court rejected the Bush EPA’s reasons for denying the petition.
- December 2007: The Bush EPA prepared a proposal finding that global warming pollutants endanger public welfare, but the White House did not allow the proposal to be released.
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Wisconsin Environment is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization.
