U.S. government continues to turn a blind eye to climate change
Happy World Environment Day! Let’s celebrate this auspicious holiday by taking a look at the latest climate news from the U.S. government. First, a draft energy bill circulating among the House Energy and Commerce Committee contains a provision that would bar the U.S. EPA from allowing states to adopt strict vehicle emissions rules aimed at lowering greenhouse gases. Did you stay with us on that one? Basically, says Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), the wording would “pre-empt the rights of states to set strong standards to save energy and reduce global-warming pollution.” While you soak that in, consider this: the Defense Department is turning a planned weather-and-climate satellite program into a weather-only program, reducing the number of satellites that will be launched and eliminating or downgrading most onboard climate instruments. Officials say the multibillion-dollar budget was out of control, but a former NOAA scientist calls the whole thing a “planned train wreck.”
