The Obama administration will formally declare Monday that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to the public's health and welfare, a move that lays the groundwork for an economy-wide carbon cap even if Congress fails to enact climate legislation, sources familiar with the process said. The move, which Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson will announce at an afternoon press conference, comes as the largest climate change conference in history gets underway in Copenhagen. It will finalize an initial "endangerment finding" by the government in April. While an EPA spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter, the agency sent out a press advisory that Jackson will make "a significant climate announcement at a press briefing" at 1:15 p.m. at EPA headquarters. Jackson will also speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference Wednesday; her address is titled "Taking Action at Home." Obama, who will attend the end of the U.N. talks Dec. 18, has sent a series of recent signals to the international community that the United States will curb its carbon output as part of a new global climate deal.
The move, which Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson will announce at an afternoon press conference, comes as the largest climate change conference in history gets underway in Copenhagen. It will finalize an initial "endangerment finding" by the government in April.
While an EPA spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter, the agency sent out a press advisory that Jackson will make "a significant climate announcement at a press briefing" at 1:15 p.m. at EPA headquarters. Jackson will also speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference Wednesday; her address is titled "Taking Action at Home." Obama, who will attend the end of the U.N. talks Dec. 18, has sent a series of recent signals to the international community that the United States will curb its carbon output as part of a new global climate deal.
Doable exercise for the EPA to insert 'above 1990 baseline' somewhere in there to make sure that there is a certain net reduction.
Atrios thinks a well-administered cap & trade would work better, and I tend to agree. It's just not likely to emerge out of Congress -- more like monster cap & trade bill from hell if anything ever makes it out.
The United States and China are going to have to offer greater reductions in their CO2 emissions than they have hitherto done, according to the Swedish Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren, who leads the European Union's negotiating team. "That is absolutely vital if we are to reach our goals of keeping temperature rise below two degrees. The European Union is ready to increase its reductions from 20 percent to 30 percent, but that means that others will have to put something on the table," Carlgren says on the first day of the UN's COP15 Climate Summit. "The end game will be about what the United States and China deliver. It would be somewhat astounding if President Obama comes to Copenhagen and only offers what he has already said," Carlgren says at a news conference.
"That is absolutely vital if we are to reach our goals of keeping temperature rise below two degrees. The European Union is ready to increase its reductions from 20 percent to 30 percent, but that means that others will have to put something on the table," Carlgren says on the first day of the UN's COP15 Climate Summit.
"The end game will be about what the United States and China deliver. It would be somewhat astounding if President Obama comes to Copenhagen and only offers what he has already said," Carlgren says at a news conference.
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China has all along actively pushed forward international negotiations on climate change, and made its own contribution in energy saving and emissions cut, said a senior Chinese official on Sunday.
China would continue to raise energy efficiency, develop nuclear power and renewable energy, plant trees, adopt energy-saving measures in construction and transportation, and develop low-carbon economy, he said. Developed countries, which shoulder historical responsibilities for climate change due to their emissions, have accomplished their industrialization, while China is still in the process of industrialization, noted Xie.
Developed countries, which shoulder historical responsibilities for climate change due to their emissions, have accomplished their industrialization, while China is still in the process of industrialization, noted Xie.
