----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 1:57:01 PM
Subject: Reply from Senator Harkin
February 8, 2011
Dr. Charles Winterwood
1555 Montrose Ter
Dubuque, IA 52001-0329
Dear Dr. Winterwood:
Thank you for sharing your concerns with me regarding the need to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. I also appreciate your views regarding the authority
of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate such
emissions. These are very important issues, and I assure you that I have been
following these decisions closely.
Society has become increasingly aware of the effects of global warming, as
scientists have observed rising average temperatures, accelerated glacial and
polar ice melting, and greater occurrences of extreme weather events. It is
known that the emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from human activities are
driving global warming. It also is generally accepted that all nations have a
shared global responsibility to address this very serious problem. In my view,
passing well-crafted legislation that makes strong investments in renewable
energy and energy efficiency technologies is the best way to set the pace in the
United States, for what must be a global effort to mitigate global warming by
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While legislation is the preferred approach,
it also is important to recognize that EPA has authority to regulate greenhouse
gases under the Clean Air Act (CAA), which has long been the standard for
environmental air quality regulations.
The CAA seeks to protect human health and the environment from air pollutants,
and Section 202(a) of the act requires the EPA to create standards for and to
regulate such pollutants. While the question of whether the Clean Air Act
applies to greenhouse gases has been debated in recent years, the Supreme Court
settled that question in a ruling in 2007 which concluded that the EPA must
determine whether or not greenhouse gases represent a danger to public health or
welfare. More recently in December of 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
released a finding that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere do threaten the
"public health and welfare of current and future generations." As a
consequence of this finding, the EPA is required to formulate a set of proposed
regulations for controlling greenhouse gases and to release them for comment, as
a first step towards establishing and enforcing such regulations.
While I support the EPA's clear authority to regulate greenhouse gases, I
believe the formulation and passage of global warming legislation by Congress is
a more effective approach. Such legislation can be structured to balance the
impacts of these policies across regions and economic sectors as well as to
emphasize the creation of green jobs and economic growth. I believe this
consideration should be central to our national global warming strategy.
Therefore, I will continue to work hard with my colleagues in Congress to
formulate legislation that simultaneously addresses the problems posed by global
warming, invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and
leads the way to a new green economy by creating thousands of green energy jobs.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on these very important
issues, and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Tom Harkin
United States Senator
TH/dnh
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