During the week of Nov. 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed new air quality regulations intended to reduce carbon emissions among many of America’s industries and activities. We can argue about the need to better our air quality beyond the amazing improvements we have witnessed the past 30 years. We can argue about the need to reduce carbon emissions when carbon dioxide is the life blood of our planet supporting the plant life that makes life for mankind viable.
But no one can argue that EPA is using a heavy hand in giving the public exactly two weeks to respond to its proposal by a Dec. 1 deadline – with one of the weeks being taken up largely with our nation’s Thanksgiving celebration.
This command-and-control form of government brings to mind Nancy Pelosi’s announcement to the House of Representatives last spring regarding Obamacare – when she said “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” Of course most of us know how that turned out.
It is clear now that Cap and Trade legislation to control carbon emissions is not going to pass through our Congress. The public has expressed overwhelming objection to it – everywhere but California. It is just as clear, however, that under the direction of our president and his EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, we are going to be subject to regulation with out representation. This is disgraceful, and would certainly have our founding fathers rolling over in their graves.
It is time to rein in the EPA whenever and wherever its efforts are serving neither the health of the public, nor the environment, but instead causing significant economic damage.
Jay Lehr, Ph.D.
Science Director
The Heartland Institute
Chicago, IL
Confirmation phone number: 312-377-4000
Jay Lehr was an internationally renowned speaker, scientist, Senior Policy Advisor with the International Climate Science Coalition and Senior Science Analyst at CFACT.
