Climate Files 62 / EPA Priorities
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Discusses 2010 EPA Priorities
On March 8, 2010, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson spoke to the National Press Club on progress made by the agency in 2009 and priorities for 2010. She discussed actions on climate change, America’s waters and EPA’s efforts to expand the conversation on environmentalism.
She was asked why the EPA doesn’t stop surface mining (mountaintop removal) and she basically said because the EPA regulates pollution and water quality; the EPA does not and cannot regulate mining. That is a political excuse. They are the Environmental Protection Agency — it’s their job to protect the environment. Mountaintop removal is one of the most environmentally destructive practices in the U.S. and they must have the authority to stop it. Apparently, this is the EPA’s way of stalling a decision on mountaintop removal. Surface coal mining is especially destructive, not just to our water but to the trees, the ecology of the area, and to the land itself. There is no way to put the top back on a hill or mountain once it has been removed, and no way to completely reinstate the wildlife and balance of the ecology of the area once it has been ruined.
Unfortunately today, in conjunction with this talk, the EPA approved a surface mining operation in Ohio. They imposed supposed stringent rules on the mining operation so that it doesn’t pollute the water, but nowhere are there requirements of a carbon fee or any way for this mining to take responsibility for how it adds to global warming. This is where the EPA has to change. The EPA’s responsibilities should include protecting the human race’s ability to live in its environment–which would necessarily render coal mining obsolete. Read about the EPA’s new permit below. To see the video of this talk, visit CSPAN.org.
Below is the press release released by the EPA today in its approval of the Ohio surface mining permit. This is a blow to the environment, and it’s hard to see how this is the EPA “protecting” the country’s land and water.
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Climate Files 49 / The Climate Olympics Begin
The Copenhagen climate summit COP15 has begun, and it seems like most of the world is there.
That’s the biggest news. Coinciding with that, the EPA has passed an endangerment finding under the Clean Air Act. Could we ask for anything more? Yes, a binding legal treaty to reduce emissions, in Copenhagen. That’s what we really need. But now we know that if Congress doesn’t act on climate change legislation quickly enough, the EPA now has an obligation to regulate or otherwise stop harmful GHG emissions from hurting the health of Americans.
The finding was time to strengthen the U.S. negotiating position in Copenhagen. Good for them. In this episode you can hear two introductory press conferences on days 1 and 2 of the climate conference and also the U.S. delegate, John Pershing, stating the U.S.’s preliminary positions. They all also smack down the climate scientist emails that were illegally obtained, stating that it just won’t make any difference. There is an enormous amount of scientific data in the U.S. and from all over the world that has been independently arrived at and supports global warming claims. Watch the EPA announcement video here and you can download the Finding’s segments there too.
The mysterious Danish Text story.
LinkTV climate change videos are here.
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Climate Files 34 / Send Obama to Copenhagen with Climate Plan
Climate Action Day for 350 ppm
President Obama gave an energy speech at MIT in Massachusetts on October 23rd, which you will hear in this episode. He announced some interesting things that MIT students are working on in terms of new energy. He also said the US is in a peaceful competition to develop clean technologies, and he championed US leadership on clean energy, as international deadlines for climate change mitigation loom.
In this episode, you will also hear Australian scientist Tim Flannery plead with Americans to pass climate legislation, and then hear Lisa Jackson explain how the EPA is back in action. Flannery’s interview is from DemocracyNow.
Everyone is expecting Obama to show up in Copenhagen for the major climate summit in December. He needs some convincing to get there, however. Help send Obama to Copenhagen and call the White House. The White House number is (202) 456-1414. The latest news is that he isn’t going and we need to convince him to go to Copenhagen with a Climate plan, if not legislation, in hand.
Now, I’m not a big supporter of the cap and trade bill (Kerry-Boxer, or CEJAPA) because most analysts says it won’t do enough to stop or even slow down climate change enough to make a difference. But some experts and analysts say it will do just that. It’s hard to know who to believe. But it will be a first step on the road to a climate deal in Copenhagen, or COP15, which is a two week meeting on climate change in December.
Also check out the October 24 International Day of Climate Action, sponsored by 350.org. 350 ppm is the goal in Copenhagan.
Also on Friday, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, released the text of the Chairman’s Mark of the CEJAPA bill (S. 1733). That’s from the EPW news release from late Friday (Oct. 23rd) night. (The full text of the Chairman’s Mark was here but is currently unavailable — check back later.) The main difference between this text and the draft of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act released late last month is that it “specifies distribution of emissions allowances” (details here). Also, the EPA released its analysis of Boxer’s bill. (click here).
The PDA statement for a carbon price is here. The Stop Global Warming/Environmental Issues Organizing Team has been sifting through different legislative proposals in the House and Senate since late last year and they have decided to support direct carbon pricing, with revenue recycling as the best method for reducing carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. Read the statement here. Music at end: Eve of Destruction rewritten and performed by New Millenium.
Related article: Mr. Obama, be tough on climate change.
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