The issue of climate change is one that has divided people along and within national borders. The U.S. in particular has come under some international criticism, notably with regard to the Kyoto Protocol and the lack of American support. Nevertheless, it can be argued that other countries are equally guilty of neglect regarding environmentally friendly policy. Regardless, an article published by Bloomberg yesterday shows that this attitude might be changing. The Environmental Protection Agency announced its first cap on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Initially, this seems like a promising step in the right direction. Yet the fine print of the legislation indicates otherwise. This cap, which states plants cannot emit more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour, will only apply to new plants that are compliant with modern standards. There is no plan to enforce any kind of legislation on existing plants, many of which are probably antiquated and contribute most to the emission issue. To make matters worse, 15 plants with pending permits before construction can ensue are also excluded from this new rule. So the EPA essentially intends to enforce a ban on only a select portion of plants. A potential breakthrough in instigating meaningful plans to combat global warming has been reduced to a promise that neglects two of the most important groups: power plants that have been polluting and those that intend to do the same in the future.
Whether this will be a step toward more decisive legislation is uncertain. In reality, this plan will probably receive some public recognition before being regarded as useless. Of course, part of the reason the environmental agenda has been slow is due to other issues superseding it. Global warming is not immediately affecting us, but a dismal economic outlook and poverty’s ramifications are evident. The government prioritizes based on what citizens want and what will make the government popular with its people. Unfortunately, until climate change surpasses other domestic and foreign issues America faces, we probably can’t expect meaningful change from anyone except civilians who feel strongly about the issue at hand.