We have no friends better that the earth herself. Without her, we shall not survive. Nevertheless Republicans are not letting up in their ongoing campaign to allow their greedy, criminal corporate cronies to despoil our environment. They have already introduced three new bills to TeaBugger the EPA.
Republicans have wasted no time in using their new majority in Congress to try to block the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to act on climate change.
In their first full day in the new Congress, Republicans outlined three different bills – encapsulating three different strategies – aimed at limiting the powers of the EPA. It also shut down a house committee that had tackled energy and climate issues.
The first, introduced by Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, would declare that greenhouse gas emissions are not subject to the Clean Air Act – even though supreme court ruled in 2007 that they are.
The second, introduced by Ted Poe of Texas, would block funding to any government agency associated with cap-and-trade.
The third, introduced by Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, is relatively modest, seeking a two-year delay in EPA regulation of carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
But that could make it the most likely to succeed. In the Senate, a Democrat from coal-rich West Virginia, Jay Rockefeller, has been calling for a bill to delay EPA action on climate change.
The EPA began the process of regulating greenhouse gas emissions under new rules for major power plants and oil refineries that went into effect this month.
But as last November’s mid-term elections made clear, environmental regulations have become a favourite target of the conservative Tea party movement… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Common Dreams>
The reason Republicans oppose environmental regulation is simple. One of the costs of production is the cost of the prevention or repair of effects of that production that damage others. When corporate criminals can pollute freely without preventing or cleaning up their mess, they transfer those production costs to those who pay for them through decreases in their quality of life. For example, a fisherman cannot feed his family, if BP has despoiled his fishing grounds, or people who get cancer from breathing polluted air. Republicans care nothing for the common people who get hurt, as long as the millionaires and billionaires they represent make more money.
4 Responses to “Republicans Move to TeaBugger the EPA”
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What’s this global warming thing you speak of?
Seriously, you can’t spend money when you’re dead – so they want to continue to pollute because the Teabaggers will let them. Try getting a law passed that’s already been ruled unconstitutional.
That just about says it all, but since when have they ever cared about the Constitution, in practice, that is.
Boehner says they must cite constitutional authority not SCOTUS rulings when bringing a bill to the floor. This could be a set up for a years and years long court fight with the current rule either held in abeyance or with the EPA to proceed until the laws are challenged and decided by a court already bought by them who fight the regulations.
So like I say when the earth takes her last gasp, is unable to process at least a portion of the co2 out of the atmosphere then buh bye to the human virus that is killing her.
Mark, I think humanity might survive, and that the survivors might be up to a billion of the world’s most primitive inhabitants. The death toll is likely to exceed 6 billion.