The Republicans’ War on the Environment

As unsurprising as it is utterly stupid, a Republican-dominated House subcommittee has voted to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, while a parallel bill has been introduced in the Senate.

President Barack Obama has said he will veto any such legislation. —JCL

The New York Times:

A House subcommittee voted on Thursday to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate greenhouse gases, chipping away at a central pillar of the Obama administration’s evolving climate and energy strategy.

The sharply partisan vote was preordained by the Republican takeover of the House. Republicans and their industry allies accuse the administration of levying taxes on traditional energy sources through costly environmental regulations, threatening the economic recovery and driving jobs overseas.

Many Republicans also argue that global warming is an unproven theory and that no action is needed to combat it, and they are backed by lobbies representing manufacturers; small businesses; agriculture; and the chemical, coal and oil industries; all of which have a big financial stake in hamstringing the E.P.A.

Read more

Richard Ellis

As one of the most immediate and well-publicized victims of climate change, polar bears have a vested interest in regulating greenhouse gas emissions.