U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Gives Verdict on Toxic Levels of Greenhouse Gases

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Not that it wasn't a know fact before, yet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent declaration that greenhouse gases are and will continue to be harmful to the public health and welfare, directly reinforces provisions in the U.S. Clean Air Act just prior to the climate summit set to take place in Copenhagen

The timing of the EPA's greenhouse gases announcement was no coincidence, hopefully serving as a reminder that the U.S. government is in full support of regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

Specifically, the U.S. EPA Administrator signed two separate findings - an Endangerment finding and Cause or Contribute finding. The former specifically named the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases - Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's), perfluorocarbons (PFC's) and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6), as being the primary atmospheric threats to the public health and welfare of current and future generations. The latter finding named the primary causes of the aforementioned greenhouse gases as new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. In other words, the current fleet of automobiles on American roadways is simply not meeting health and welfare standards.

The report includes warnings of seal level rise, and subsequent storm surge and flooding, water shortages, increased wildfires, tree mortality and insect outbreaks, as well as a potential for lower crop yields. Ecosystems are also in danger, resulting in species shifting to northern regions and higher altitudes, resulting in negative consequences on biodiversity.