Do we need an independent agency to do the EPA's job?

Question

The EPA only regulates greenhouse gases if they're required to by law. There are a lot of great nonprofit organizations that try to get people to cut CO2 emissions, but they don't have the power to make laws about it. Could the government start an agency that is actually determined to stop global warming, and isn't run by politicians that would suffer if we reduced our use of petroleum?

I guess it would work if we got to vote for the leaders at the EPA, and they weren't chosen by the Bush Admin...

Answer 1

I've always favoured a different approach. I don't think that making laws and forcing people to make changes is necessarily the right way to go about it. This inevitable leads to resentment, beaurocracy, red tape, expense (implementation, management, enforcement etc).

If you look at the most environmentally aware countries, they actually have very few laws (much less than we already have). They suceed because people and organisations WANT to make a difference.

Unfortunately in the US climate change and politics have become entwined with many people seeing global warming and climate change as a political issue rather than a scientific one, this does little to alleviate the problems and, as I see it, leads to resentment, denial, confusion and ignorance. Much better to present the facts as they are and let people make up their own minds. In other words, educate people first.

Also, providing incentives for people to 'go green' works better than penalising people or imposing laws. Here in the UK the government hikes fuel prices annually (currently about $9 a gallon) and trots out the excuse that it's to discourage people from driving. It doesn't work. Year on year vehicle ownership increases as does total and average milage driven. When the government cut tax on fuel efficent cars there was an increase in sales of these vehicles.

If education doesn't work then look at legislation as an alternative

Answer 2

Nobody believes that global warming can be stopped, not even Al Gore. You can't turn down the sun.

If there were no humans the earth would still be warming according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The best we can hope for is to reduce the human contribution to global warming which is a small percentage of the natural causes.

Answer 3

EPA is technically an "Independent Agency". The problem is not EPA, it is the politically appointed leadership.

The real answer is to change that leadership in November, 2008.

Answer 4

No government agency has the power to make laws, that is the job of the legistature. How would yet another government agency staffed by lawyers help in any way?