Proposed rulemaking on greenhouse gas regulation an economic train wreck in the making
Washington, D.C. – Today the American Energy Alliance (AEA) launched a new online initiative to alert voters about the economic perils associated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) effort to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Known as an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) , the EPA’s proposed regulatory framework would make energy scarce and even more expensive, further eroding an already fragile economy. AEA is launching Stop the EPA to help avert this economic disaster.
“The Clean Air Act was designed to protect and enhance the quality of the air we breathe, not to suck the oxygen out of the U.S. economy,” said Thomas Pyle, president of AEA. But when you consider the extreme scope and extent of this regulatory proposal, that’s exactly what would happen if it were enacted. No other country in the world would even consider inflicting so much harm and hardship on itself, but that’s precisely what is happening in Washington today.
In 2007, the Supreme Court rendered an opinion in Massachusetts v. EPA which found that greenhouse gases could be classified as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. It also directed the agency to determine whether carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. It was a decision that, according to one dissenting Supreme Court justice, could eventually lead to the regulation of everything “from Frisbees to flatulence.”
Indeed, EPA’s response was a voluminous 500+ page Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that outlines the myriad of activities, industries, businesses, and commercial goods and services that could fall victim to a heavy-handed scheme to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The EPA is currently soliciting comments on its proposal.
“By attempting to regulate the production and virtually all known uses of energy – the lifeblood of our economy – the EPA has constructed a depression-inducing Trojan Horse that could find itself into every factory, family room, small business and backyard in America,” Pyle continued. “Regulating personal consumption of oxygen is perhaps the only thing that could be more perverse, especially given the state of our economy and the rising costs of energy today. It’s imperative for consumers to educate themselves on this issue and take action by issuing their comments to the EPA itself.”
EPA’s plan is so sweeping it could include regulate the fuel economy of lawnmowers, the design of tractor trailer mirrors and airplane wingtips, and even the shape of automobiles. It could also lead to energy restrictions on over one million buildings including hospitals, churches, office buildings, and stadiums.
Key Definitions for putting the ANPR in Perspective
Carbon: A naturally abundant nonmetallic element that occurs in many inorganic and in all organic compounds, exists freely as graphite and diamond and as a constituent of coal, limestone, and petroleum, and is capable of chemical self-bonding to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically, and commercially important molecules.
Carbon Dioxide: A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas that is present in the atmosphere and is formed when any fuel containing carbon is burned. It is breathed out of an animal’s lungs during respiration, is produced by the decay of organic matter, and is used by plants in photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is also used in refrigeration, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, carbonated drinks, and more.
About the American Energy Alliance: The American Energy Alliance (AEA) is a recently formed not-for-profit 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for free-market energy and environmental policies. It is affiliated with the Institute for Energy Research (IER) , another not-for-profit – founded in 1989 – that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. Both AEA and IER maintain that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society.
Take Action at AEA Online:
www.americanenergyalliance.org/stoptheepa.