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The supreme court just slapped down the EPA for trying to overstep their authority. Regardless of the merits of banning natural gas for heating, this is pure gr
by kevinpet 4y ago
The supreme court just slapped down the EPA for trying to overstep their authority. Regardless of the merits of banning natural gas for heating, this is pure grandstanding because they know the EPA cannot do this.
On the merits, requiring replacement with a different type of unit is foolish policy and not the right starting point. As it stands now, new houses are still being built with natural gas. Eliminating that would be a bigger win, and twenty years from now you can work on phasing out what already exists.
- pfdietz 4y agoThe IRA addressed that ruling by formally stating that CO2 and other greenhouse gases are pollutants. This grants the EPA the authority that SCOTUS said they were lacking. So, you should have said the EPA "could not do this, but now they can." https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/climate/epa-supreme-court-pollution.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/climate/epa-supreme-court...
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago> CO2 and other greenhouse gases are pollutants As an aside, that is going to have some weird unforeseen effects at low levels because it means that almost every car and every dwelling or heated structure emits "pollutants" and there's god knows how many other laws that they therefore become subject to.
- pfdietz 4y agoEvery last thing powered by fossil fuels is a valid target for pollution control, yes. I'm glad you understand the scope of the problem.
- landemva 4y agoIf CO2 is a pollutant, then elimination of exhaling humans is a logical focus for Sierra Club.
- pfdietz 4y agoExcept that these CO2 emissions are exactly balanced by CO2 absorption by the plants that produced our food. If you are objecting to food produced directly from fossil fuels, or methane emissions in agriculture, then yes those are valid targets to be addressed.
- landemva 4y agoCO2 is 0.04% of atmosphere. More atmospheric CO2 is followed by more plant growth, so you are right that it does balance. "The resilience of Earth’s atmosphere has been proven throughout our planet’s climate history" https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2915/the-atmosphere-getting-a-handle-on-carbon-dioxide/ https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2915/the-atmosphere-getting-a-...
- ncmncm 4y agoIf more CO2 were balanced by more plant growth, CO2 concentration would not be shooting up, decade after decade. But it is.