Landmark Statement, EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare

One of the benefits of working in Washington DC is having friends who work for the EPA. We learned of the EPA’s statement over beers at a weekend get together.

No, we didn’t get the scoop early, in fact, we learned about it a day later, but having friends on the “inside” offers us a very unique view. But first, we’ll share the announcement.

After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the EPA issued a finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”

EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world.

The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.

The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:

increased drought;
more heavy downpours and flooding;
more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
greater sea level rise;
more intense storms; and
harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.

In addition to threatening human health, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.

The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.

It’s interesting how just month’s ago, we were bashing on the EPA just about every week. Under the Obama administration though, a much happier, cleaner and greener EPA has emerged from the DC bureaucracy.

Stated my friend, “It’s a great time to be working for the EPA, and to be honest with you Adam, I see it making great changes and I’m looking forward to being a part of those changes.”

I’ll drink to that!

More information: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

photo credit: mccready