EPA Poised to Declare CO2 a Public Danger

The Wall Street Journal ^ | DECEMBER 5, 2009 | Ian Talley

[Delacon]

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will early next week, possibly as soon as Monday, officially declare carbon dioxide a public danger, a trigger that could mean regulation for emitters across the economy, according to several people close to the matter.

Such an "endangerment" decision is necessary for the EPA to move ahead early next year with new emission standards for cars. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has said it could also mean large emitters such as power stations, cement kilns, crude-oil refineries and chemical plants would have to curb their greenhouse gas output.

The announcement would also give President Barack Obama and his climate envoy negotiating leverage at a global climate summit starting next week in Copenhagen, Denmark and increase pressure on Congress to pass a climate bill that would modify the price of polluting.

While environmentalists celebrate EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases, it has caused many large emitters to cringe at the potential costs of compliance.

According to a preliminary endangerment finding published in April, EPA scientists fear that man-made carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are contributing to a warming of the global climate. Senior EPA officials said in November the agency would likely make a final decision in December around the time of the summit.

Joe Mendelson, Global Warming Policy Director for National Wildlife Federation, said the endangerment decision, would happen at "absolutely the right time."

"With House legislation passed, a bipartisan Senate bill in the works, and strong EPA action a virtual certainty, the president goes to Copenhagen with a very strong hand to play," Mr. Mendelson said.

The EPA declaration would also ratchet up the pressure on U.S. lawmakers to pass legislation that analysts say would cut emissions in a more economically efficient way. Although the House has passed a climate bill, movement of similar 

[GOP_Lady]

[Don W]

This whole “greenhouse effect” thing has missed one rather obvious and vital component of said effect: there needs to be a PHYSICAL barrier to keep the heated air in, otherwise said air rises and is cooled by its surroundings.

[Art in Idaho]

This is absolutely psychotic. When we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide, CO2. Of the 745mt of CO2 released into the atmosphere each year, just 8mt is the result of man. That's about 0.94% of the total. 3mt of that 7mt is absorbed by the oceans(0.40%of total/43%of man-made CO2), 2mt remains in the atmosphere(0.27%of total/28.5%of man-made) and 2mt is taken up by other means, mostly plant life. . Human production of 8 Gt C per year of CO2 is negligible as compared with the 40,000 Gt C residing in the oceans and biosphere

See data at the Global Warming Petition Project: Here

[CyberAnt]

Well .. the only way to stop CO2 is to KILL ALL THE PEOPLE!

CO2 is what we exhale .. and what trees need to grow .. and when trees grow they give off oxygen .. which we need to breathe. What a great plan. If we remove all the CO2 - we will kill all the trees - and then we’ll have no oxygen to breathe. Is anybody getting this ..??

I don’t need to be a scientist to know that information, I learned it in basic biology!

[rockinqsranch]

This is truly the limit. Dictates by bureaucrats. It’s the middle finger held up into our faces.

It’s truly a dictatorship when an appointed Bureaucrat assumes they can tell the Representatives of the people in Congress what will, or will not be.

Is Obama going to avoid comment to dodge responsibility?

[narses]

I emit CO2. So does my beer. Methane too. Ketones on occasion.

[JaguarXKE]

I won’t say what I’m really thinking lest I get kicked of FR for extreme profanity!

[hal ogen]

I strongly suggest that all liberals end their lives this evening to save us from their CO2 footprint.

[goodnesswins]

Carole Browner wants to STARVE THE CHILDREN, too!!!!

[Vince Ferrer]

This will be great for jobs.

[Delacon]

I’m guessing they will use human respiration forcasting computer models. That way they don’t have to use facts, just supposition. You know, if you make more than 100k, its anticipated you will emit x much co2, if you live in a red state then increase that by a factor of x, and so on.

[Outlaw Woman]

Well .. the only way to stop CO2 is to KILL ALL THE PEOPLE!

Starting in D.C.

[SCalGal]

Someone already made the joke “eat the dog”.

I don't think it's a joke anymore.

[Delacon]

Btw the EPA could come out with its findings(read laws) as early as this Monday.

[gwilhelm56]

Since this “GloBULL warming” Started... I’ve said that we can “Cut CO2 emissions by 42% if Liberals would just NOT EXHALE.”

Probably could cut the remainder by 50% just by putting a dome over Washington DC (or at least a dome over CONGRESS)

[Delacon]

I had mexican food the other nite. My wife tried to call the EPA but got a busy signal.

[CyberAnt]

I’ll drink to that!!

[Delacon]

“OK, it’s easy to figure out what stocks to sell on Monday morning. What stocks do I buy on Monday morning”?

Whats that investment group Al Gore heads up?

[Dick Bachert]

The EPA will also outlaw all future volcanic eruptions.

Word is that Mount Pinatubo is SERIOUSLY PISSED!!

[Niteflyr]

300 Million plus humans spew out CO2 at a never ending rate. What is the EPA going to do to humans? Tax us for spewing CO2?

The number one greenhouse gas is water vapor....what are we going to do about that?

I'm starting to believe this whole scam is fueling a move towards one world government and a redistribution of wealth from the west to the poor countries of the world....a macro version of what Barry the O is doing to this country...