EPA's Carbon Ruling Puts Heat on Congress

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 18, 2009 4:59 PM CDT

(Newser) – By issuing its long-awaited “endangerment finding” on carbon yesterday, the EPA is essentially putting a gun to Congress’ head, writes Bryan Walsh in Time. Capitol Hill is loathe to regulate carbon emissions, with Republicans and coal-state Democrats worried about the economic fallout. But by ruling that carbon is dangerous, the EPA has issued an ultimatum: If you don’t regulate, we will.

Says one clean air activist: “If business groups continue to oppose congressional action, they ought to ask themselves, in the immortal words of Clint Eastwood: Do you feel lucky?” But not everyone believes the threat of EPA action will lead to legislation on controversial measures such as cap-and-trade. "Republicans would love for Democrats to regulate carbon and raise energy prices,” said one strategist. “The threat of regulating carbon is actually a suicide threat.”

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A car gives off exhaust in Montpelier, Vt., Monday, March 2, 2007. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Steam rises from the cooling towers of the 2,000MW flexible coal Eggborough electricity power station on March 13, 2009 near Selby, England. (Getty Images)

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It will be messy, it will be inefficient, and, for many greens, it will be maddening, but Congress is the right place to hash out our response to global warming. - Bryan Walsh

The EPA has the right to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. But carbon is so embedded in every aspect of modern life that it needs to be managed by the popularly elected body meant to represent us all. - Bryan Walsh, Time

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