Great, so now we're reliant on congress to get something done. The same congress that's sat on its hands for the past 30 years and has been shown to be completely incapable of addressing the issue.
This is a massive blow to the US being able to reach emissions targets. Every day we're one step closer to the 'business as usual' path that leaves the world 3-4c hotter. That's a catastrophic scenario.
>>This is a massive blow to the US being able to reach emissions targets.
Whose targets though? 'Shouldn't we the people' have a say? i.e. shouldn't congress actually hold the hearings, digest the info and go on the record voting for or against important items?
We don't let the IRS set tax rates, we should not let unelected bureaucrats decide what the environmental goals are - elect people you think represent your priorities, have them go on the record supporting or opposing important decisions, and then pass a law the establishes frameworks to the agencies in charge under which they operate.
> shouldn't congress actually hold the hearings, digest the info and go on the record voting for or against important items?
Of course, but this will never happen. So if the only positive outcome of an action is a long tail event, then maybe the action shouldn’t be taken. We have to look at the expected value of this, which is that people less versed than the experts suddenly making decisions they had previously relegated to the experts. Chaos.
Again, congress has had 30 YEARS to do something. They've done nothing. I'm long past the point of assuming ignorance and incompetence, much of congress is clearly acting in bad faith on this issue because they are beholden to the fossil fuel companies.
Want 'We the People' to have a say in whether or not the EPA should regulate CO2? Put it to a national referendum. Congress has shown repeatedly that it's more than happy to watch the world burn if it means their superpacs are stuffed with lobbyist funds.
This is a massive blow to the US being able to reach emissions targets. Every day we're one step closer to the 'business as usual' path that leaves the world 3-4c hotter. That's a catastrophic scenario.
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