EPA's action will have an infinitesimal affect on global warming

EPW Policy Beat: Endangerment 101

By EPW Blog
Monday, January 11, 2010

After a brief hibernation, EPW Policy Beat is back, this time grappling with EPA’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act (CAA). http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/

We’ve commented on the finding before, and our view is straightforward: EPA’s action (under Section 202(a) of the Act) http://www.epa.gov/oar/caa/title2.html is predicated on flawed science and will lead to a regulatory dragnet covering every corner of the economy, including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, commercial buildings, restaurants-and many more. On top of that, EPA’s action will have an infinitesimal affect on global warming, as emissions from China, India, and other developing countries will easily negate any emissions reductions here at home.

So what next? EPA plans to finalize regulations covering emissions from new motor vehicles at the end of March. At that point, EPA either will decide that CO2 is a pollutant “subject to regulationâ€