New legislation improves climate controls, but more is needed
In June, a Supreme Court decision restricted EPA’s authority to control carbon emissions released at power plants, asserting that Congress has never specifically delegated to that agency the power to broadly regulate heat-trapping pollutants.
The Democrat majority passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included provisions intended to regain regulatory authority, but legal consequences are disputed. The bill confirms that carbon dioxide, methane and other climate-disrupting emissions are forms of air pollution covered by the Clean Air Act.
To a promising extent, Congress has reinforced EPA’s legal justification for regulating emissions causing the destructive, escalating problems brought by rising global temperatures.
It does this by amending the Clean Air Act to define “greenhouse gas” as an air pollutant. Furthermore, the IRA subsidizes projects that reduce or avoid these dangerous emissions and others.
While the IRA strengthens EPA’s ability to control the causes of worsening climate disruption, confronting the climate crisis will require far more – and soon.
But the IRA establishes urgently needed policies vital to our future.
DAVID KYLER, CENTER FOR A SUSTAINABLE COAST
Let’s learn from Europe’s mistakes with energy sources
Largely unreported is the fact that Europe is going broke due to disastrous decisions made in the past to address climate change.
As a result, energy costs have escalated precipitously and shortages are serious. Already, many families and businesses cannot afford their energy costs.
Europe shut down nuclear and coal power plants and put themselves at the mercy of Russia for energy sources. Anyone should know that alternative sources such as solar and wind are not cost-competitive without subsidies and realistically could not supply energy needs for decades.
The Biden Administration has this country on the same course with their war on fossil fuel, including actions to stop investment in fossil fuel production.
When will we learn from mistakes others make? We need a realistic approach to energy policy that recognizes overreaction to climate change is dangerous. It can be addressed by adaptation and technology as we have done with so many other problems faced by this country.
DOUGLAS ABRAMS, SUWANEE
