Posted on 03/29/2012 8:02:11 PM PDT by Red Steel
New rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions will make it nearly impossible to build new coal power plants
The Obama administration effectively blocked the construction of any new coal-fired power plants on Tuesday, introducing rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from the next generation of plants.
The proposed new standards would cut carbon dioxide emissions on new power plants in half and will, over time, help move America away from the carbon-heavy plants that currently produce nearly half of the country's electricity, Lisa Jackson, the head of the environmental protection agency, told a conference call with reporters.
"Right now there are no limits to the amount of carbon pollution that future power plants will be able to put into our skies – and the health and economic threats of a changing climate continue to grow," she said. "Today we're taking a common-sense step to reduce pollution in our air, protect the planet for our children, and move us into a new era of American energy."
Given the deep divide between Republicans and Democrats over energy policy, the new rules for coal are also bound to get caught up in election-year politics. Republicans in Congress, as well as Democrats for coal states, immediately accused President Barack Obama and the EPA of waging war on coal.
Coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of carbon dioxide, a main driver of climate change. But their share of America's energy mix has been shrinking, falling below 40% last year, according to the energy information agency.
The proposed new rules will make it nearly impossible to build new coal power plants,
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Obama said this in 2008:
"What I've said is that we, uh, would put a cap-and-trade system in place that is more -- that is as aggressive if not more aggressive than anybody else's out there. So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that, duh, greenhouse gas that's being emitted."
Ping.
No one man should be empowered to cause so much destruction.
The only thing allowed out of America’s power station smoke stacks are rainbow colored unicorn farts that transform the countryside into a racial and sexual orientation blind oasis of hope, where everyone has a windmill powerd car and free medical care.
Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant.
“introducing rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from the next generation of plants.”
so now what are the plants going to use for photosynthesis? Every basic bio class teaches that there is not enough carbon dioxide to keep photosynthesis at 100%. :)
Good post.
I agree. Unfortunately, the SCOTUS (vote 5 to 4, thanks Anthony Kennedy) ruled it is in Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency 2007.
This ought to get voters in industrial swing states. /s
Bump
EDITORIAL: Intemperate global warming rules
PATTERSON: Obama kills coal - as promised
EPA’s New Rule Kills Coal, Makes Natural Gas King
Global Warming on Free Republic
Thanks Red Steel.
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