Global Warming News

Washington, DC – Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska introduced a resolution today disapproving of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s December 2009 scientific finding that carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants threaten human health and the environment.  She crafted the resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, a law that enables Congress to veto federal agency rules using special, expedited procedures.

EPA issued the decision in response to the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts vs. EPA, in which the court ruled that global warming pollutants are covered by the Clean Air Act, and that EPA must determine if the science warrants an endangerment finding.

Environment Virginia Advocate J.R. Tolbert released the following statement in response:

“This is a thinly veiled attempt to let the nation’s biggest global warming polluters off the hook, literally removing them from the Clean Air Act.  It is an extreme action, written for polluters by polluters, to exempt Big Oil and Coal from complying with the law. 

“This resolution would have a sweeping impact, blocking Clean Air Act protections to reduce oil dependence and move America to clean energy, embarrassing the country on a global stage, and surrendering to China global leadership on clean energy.

“The Clean Air Act is a proven law with a nearly 40-year track record of cost-effectively cutting pollution to protect human health and the environment and spurring innovation.  It is one essential tool to fighting global warming. 

“Environment Virginia urges Senators Warner and Webb to vigorously oppose Senator Murkowski’s efforts and instead work to pass comprehensive legislation to repower Virginia, and the country, with clean energy and reduce global warming pollution.”  

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 Environment Virginia is a statewide citizen-funded advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water and preservation of open space.

Background:

-          Senator Murkowski is the #1 recipient in Congress of money from electric utilities and the #4 recipient of money from Big Oil so far this campaign cycle.

-          A prominent coal and electric utility industry lobbyist and senior Bush EPA official admitted last week to the Washington Post, “‘I certainly worked with her staff’ on the exact phrasing of the measure in September.”

-          Since 1990, when President George Bush. signed the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments into law with overwhelming bipartisan support, emissions of six common air pollutants have declined by 41 percent, while gross domestic product has grown by 64 percent, according to EPA.  The George W. Bush White House found that the benefits of Clean Air Act programs from 1997-2007 outweighed the costs by a range of 3 to 1 to as much as 22 to 1 (Table 1-2).