The largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States is the transportation sector. The second largest source and nearly as large is the generation of electricity.
In September, the Trump Administration announced that the United States will no longer limit the amount of planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air as they burn coal and gas to generate electricity.
According to the current version of the Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gases from American power plants have “no material impact on global climate change. If all carbon dioxides were eliminated tomorrow, there would be no meaningful impact.”
Environmentalists and climate experts of course vehemently dispute these assertions. This latest action by the EPA completes the administration’s erasure of the most significant climate policies of the Biden and Obama administrations. President Trump considers climate change to be a hoax and claims that policies aimed at slowing global warming are simply attacks to harm oil, gas, and coal companies.
The Biden administration estimated that the pollution regulations would result in public health benefits of $120 billion over the next 20 years. Under the Trump administration, the EPA has stopped estimating the public health benefits of reducing pollution and the associated cost savings. Now it is only interested in the costs to businesses of complying with rules.
Democrat-led states and environmental groups intend to challenge the EPA’s plan in court. The fight could ultimately reach the Supreme Court, which has already become highly politicized.
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References:
E.P.A. Erases Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants
