Your thoughts on the E.P.A. ruling that could speed up approval of coal power plants?
Amy L asked:
From the article in the link below:
From the article in the link below:
“Officials weighing federal applications by utilities to build new coal-fired power plants cannot consider their greenhouse gas output, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency ruled late Thursday. Some environmentalists fear the decision will clear the way for the approval of several such plants in the last days of the Bush administration.”
What “sound policy considerations” is Mr. Johnson referring to in setting aside last years Supreme Court decision that the agency could regulate carbon dioxide, the most prevalent global warming gas, under existing law?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/business/19coal.html?_r=1
Whaaaaat? What kind of stupid ruling is that? I swear, until Obama takes office they should just change the name to the EDA (Environmental Destruction Agency).
The EPA dragged its feet for years on regulating CO2. Finally the Supreme Court ordered them to do so, and they continued dragging their feet on it. Now they’ve decided that when considering coal power plants - one of the largest contributors to global warming - they’re not going to consider it? Are you freaking kidding me?
“a memorandum issued by Mr. Johnson late Thursday puts the agency on record saying that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant to be regulated when approving power plants. He cited “sound policy considerations.”
That is the biggest load of garbage. The EPA has just turned into a joke over the past 8 years. Fortunately they only have 1 month left to drag the agency’s name through the mud.
If EPA was this cool i’d join them a long time ago!
I’m a skeptic so what! I don’t give stuff about co2! unless someone says “Co2 is evil, it pollutes, you gotta stop makin it”
This is last minute stuff, they know things could potentially be very different in a few weeks, so they are trying to get as much of their agenda done as possible… before their time is up.
I don’t think it is a big deal, getting an application through does not mean the coal plant will actually get built. The next administration may provide those utilities with incentives to build something else, or perhaps remove some red-tape from another energy source so that coal is less attractive (fingers crossed).
this is specific to co2 output relating to recent court rulings that co2 is a pollutant.
since no matter how many pollutants you take out of the smoke stack when you burn coal,natural gas or anything else you produce co2, the epa would have to shut down most of our power plants if they are required to enforce this ruling.
It would be a danger to public health if all of our power was shut off, especially this time of year when most people would simply freeze to death within 48 hours.( no you cant go somewhere else because gas pumps run on electricity & this ruling covers the whole U.S.)
a presidential decree is the quickest way to prevent this fiasco from being enforced. people would soon realize its not a game, it actually effects everyone.
personally I would be tempted to let this happen so people would see just how seriously these neo hippies are effecting the country.
consider yourself lucky I’m not the president. I know I do.
A last dying gasp of a fascist regime.
If you think this is bad, wait until you see what they try to slip through from 11-12pm on December 31. You can be sure they’re saving the best for last.
Since he is a megalomaniac who considers himself above the law (violating laws and international treaties at will without involvement of Congress, bypassing our entire system of government), Bush could try anything.
Thank goodness we have a specialist in Constitutional Law entering the White House. It could take far more than 8 years to undo the severe damage done during the last 8, but at least we might get off to a running start.
Regarding coal power, here’s what NASA’s Dr. James Hansen recommends:
“Coal is the obvious target. Figure 1b shows that if there were a prompt moratorium on construction of new coal plants, and if existing ones were phased out linearly over the period 2010-2030, then atmospheric CO2 would peak during the next few decades at an amount somewhere between 400 and 425 ppm. The peak value depends upon whose estimate of undiscovered reserves is more accurate. It also depends upon whether oil in the most extreme environments is exploited or left in the ground, and thus it depends on the carbon tax (see below).
This coal-phase-out scenario yields the possibility of stabilizing climate. Overshoot of the safe CO2 level is sufficiently small that improved agricultural and forestry practices, including reforestation of marginal lands, could bring CO2 back below 350 ppm, perhaps by the middle of the century. But if construction of new coal plants continues for even another decade it is difficult to conceive a practical, natural way to return CO2 below 350 ppm.”
That would be excellent. I like having lots of electricity. If you want electric cars, you want coal burning power plants.
It is a good move, coal is abundant and we need to build more modern Power Plants. They will be more efficient then the antiquated ones currently operating. Its about time.