What Can Obama Do Now for America’s Air ?
Plant Scherer, near Juliette, Ga., has for years been one of the highest single-source producers of carbon dioxide in the world.
America’s chief environment regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued an “endangerment” finding on carbon dioxide that allows the agency to treat carbon as a pollutant. With this recent announcement that global warming is a threat to public health, the Obama administration has made clear that it plans to cut greenhouse gases substantially. President Obama has said the wants to put the U.S. on a course to slash GHG emissions 80% by 2050, a level scientists say is needed to prevent climate change’s worst effects. What can Obama do now for Americans?
Things President Obama can do now for America:
- The Clean Air Act authorizes the President to order 100 coal-fired plants in the works to be built to operate cleaner natural gas
- Obama can order existing coal plants to switch to high-efficiency natural-gas technology- cutting emissions by up to two- thirds
- The Administration can have automakers required to reduction in tailpipe emissions by 2016. The state California did this and 13 other state and the District of Columbia have committed to adopting California standards. More states need to adopt the California standard
- Obama can slash emissions from power plants and cars
- Change the efficiency standards of the Department of Energy for consumer appliances. During Obama’s 1st term, 20 standards are up for revision, and if changes are made for improvement, carbon-dioxide emissions could be reduced by approximately 70 million tons annually by 2020.
What else can Obama do now? We’d love to hear your views on this and built out the list.
What is the Clean Air Act?
The Clean Air Act is the federal law designed to make sure that all Americans have air that is safe to breathe. Public health protection is the primary goal, though the law also seeks to protect our environment from damage caused by air pollution.
Key Elements of the Clean Air Act
Cleaning Up Commonly Found Air Pollutants
Cars, Trucks, Buses, and Nonroad Equipment
Interstate and International Air Pollution
Clearing the Air in Our National Parks
Reducing Acid Rain
Reducing Toxic Air Pollutants
Protecting the Stratospheric Ozone Layer
Permits and Enforcement
Public Participation
How does the Clean Air Act work?
The Clean Air Act requires that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set national health-based air quality standards to protect against common pollutants including ozone (smog), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, and particulate soot. State governments must devise cleanup plans to meet the heath standards by a specific date. (Areas with the worst smog have a longer time to meet the standards.) In addition, the EPA sets national standards for major new sources of pollution including automobiles, trucks and electric power plants. The agency also is charged with developing controls for major sources of such toxic pollutants as benzene.
The Clean Air Act
The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act
Text for plant photo: Plant Scherer, near Juliette, Ga., has for years been one of the highest single-source producers of carbon dioxide in the world.
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Posted by admin
on May 7th, 2009. Filed under Environment.
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