Something in the air

The New York Times this morning reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is going to start regulating carbon dioxide. Pardon my ignorance, but I thought they already did. Almost two years ago, the Supreme Court ordered the EPA to determine is carbon dioxide is a pollutant that endangers public health and welfare. That seems like one of those silly studies, like determining if eating nothing but Twinkies makes you fat. Of course it's harmful. Fill a room with carbon dioxide and everyone in it will die.

I have a friend who grew up in Los Angeles during the 60's. He told me that he would go outside to play and after an hour he would have to go inside because he was coughing and wheezing. Granted, that is anecdotal evidence, but still, you don't need to be a scientist to understand the issue.

The Supreme Court order was in response to Massachusetts v. E.P.A. and was issued April 2, 2007. Under the Bush administration, the E.P.A. simply ignored the court order, go so far as refusing to regulate the carbon dioxide emissions of coal fired power plants.

The GOP has long opposed environmental issues. Many deny that global warming is happening, and they use junk science to prove their point. Now, I understand that the Republicans are fervently pro-business at the expense of all else. So they oppose raising pollution standards because they add cost to businesses. But at what point do they say "enough"? How thick with smoke does the air have to be before the GOP helps clean it up? How much does the polar ice have to recede before they acknowledge global warming? How many oil rigs would be too many in our national parks? It's a myopic, foolhardy position they take.

One thing you can say about the GOP, they cater to their base. They don't think about the future any farther than the next election. Nobody is falling down dead in the streets from pollution, so why worry about it? And the Democrats? They fear that if they push the issue too much, they will be labeled anti-business, as usually happened on environmental issues. The GOP needs to get a clue, and the Dems need to get a spine.