The Great Debate UK
from The Great Debate:
U.S. environmental agency walks a tightrope on CO2
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s proposed findings on greenhouse gas emissions were a carefully worded attempt to appease climate-change activists while containing hostility from business and energy organizations or Congress.
The "endangerment" and "contribute" findings, that greenhouse gases posed a danger to human health, were designed to provide clear signs of progress on a signature issue for the administration while preserving maximum flexibility.
The Obama administration is struggling to reconcile high hopes of ambitious action with the need to formulate a policy that can be sold to the Democratic Party's working-class base in the industrial Midwest and coal-producing states of Appalachia.
Senior officials have tailoring their message depending on the audience. In briefings to climate groups, the administration has stressed it has enough authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate emissions and is prepared to press ahead unilaterally if Congress fails to approve comprehensive legislation.
from The Great Debate:
Obama mulls cap-and-trade by decree
-- John Kemp is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own --
Senior U.S. administration officials have indicated that if Congress does not pass comprehensive legislation providing for a cap-and-trade system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions they will press ahead unilaterally with proposals using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s existing authority under the Clean Air Act.
This is an attempt to gain political leverage after deep divisions within the Democratic Party appeared when 26 Democratic senators rebelled earlier this month and voted for an amendment to the budget resolution barring cap-and-trade being considered as part of the budget.
