Today the Environmental Protection Agency, in an effort to limit emissions blamed for environmental global warming, is trying to regular greenhouse gases. This step will work to control air pollution from factories, large power plants and oil refineries. These plants and factories are huge greenhouse gas emitters, and it needs to be stopped or these companies need to be fined! This is amazing environmental news for anyone hoping to see change!
This new rule will require these companies to create better technology to help eliminate emissions and improve energy efficiency anytime they build or modify any plant. This will reduce amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from big time polluters. In turn, protecting not on the environment, but the people who are faced to be surrounded by the pollution these companies produce daily.
Lisa Jackson (EPA Administrator) said the rule applies only to large polluters such as power plants, refineries and cement production facilities that collectively are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources in the United States, according to the Associated Press. Lisa, seems to understand the importance of cutting down on the greenhouse gases and the EPA is working to help us all breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives.
The EPA says emissions of 75,000 tons of carbon dioxide are equivalent to the annual emissions from about 13,000 vehicles, or the electricity use of about 8,200 homes per year, which is an enormous amount of pollution! Legislation wants to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 17% by 2020 and by more than 80% by 2050. Hopefully we will all be around or at least our grandchildren by the time the greenhouse gases are truly cut.
The Obama administration has said it would prefer that a bill is passed to cut greenhouse gas emissions but has used the threat of EPA regulation to push laws in states heavily dependent on fossil fuels to support the new climate bill. Energy companies have said they would like to see Congress act, so we will see where the proposed bill goes from here. I can honestly say that I can see the Obama administration passing a bill within the next few years, I just do not see it being a priority currently.
the change was made in response to complaints that the earlier proposal would have affected many small and medium-sized businesses, and even large apartment buildings, said Gina McCarthy (Assistant EPA Administrator).