EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare / Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling

Release date: 04/17/2009

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.

On November 14, 2006 the Center for Biological Diversity, and other parties, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Bush Administration charging that it had failed to meet the requirement of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to provide Congress with an revised Research Plan every 3 years and a "Scientific Assessment" every 4 years.

Global Climate Change is probably the most complex challenge ever faced by humans, and in its entirety well beyond the comprehension by the human mind. The tool best suited to gaining a comprehension of the various individual elements, and their interactions, is computer modeling.

Twenty years ago, June 23, 1988,  the Director of a relatively obscure U.S. government research institute (the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA) James E. Hansen appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to testify about Global Climate Change. He testified that Global Climate Change was: real; a threat; human caused; and, that it was already underway. Today Dr. Hansen, now widely recognized as a leading climate change researcher, will testify before a House Committee that mankind has only a short time to reverse the "Global Warming Time Bomb". It is expected that he will call for a rapid shift from fossil fuels and carbon emissions, and the development of alternate energy sources and distribution systems.
 

President-Elect Obama delivered a video message to the participants of the Governors Climate Change Summit in Los Angeles, California, November 19, 2008.  The official transcript (http://change.gov, viewed 11/19/2008) of his remarks as delivered is:

Today marked the beginning of the "We Campaign", one of the largest public advocacy efforts in history. Lead by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and his Alliance for Climate Protection, the campaign objectives are to educate and organize Americans in a drive to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The $300 million, 3 year campaign will include advertising in the print and electronic media. The campaign hopes to enlist over 10 million volunteers in a drive to influence elected officials and public policy. If you are concerned about the world that our children will inherit, the very least that you can do is visit the We Campaign web site, and add your name to the list of supporters.