PDA

View Full Version : Regulation Nation: Obama bypassing Congress on climate




Lucille
08-26-2013, 12:30 PM
Who needs CONgress when you have the fourth branch? This will go about as well as the war on drugs, poverty, and terrorism.

Just what we need...higher energy prices during this Second Great Depression Washington cooked up.

Obama Declares War On Climate Change
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-26/obama-declares-war-climate-change


Summer|Winter]: watch out.


OBAMA TO USE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
OBAMA TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE FOSSIL FUELS CLEANER
OBAMA CLIMATE PLAN IS NOT A WAR ON COAL, MONIZ SAYS

Uh, will a sweating Steve Ballmer lead the first charge?

We have no idea what any of that means or what administrative authority Obama has to unilaterally declare war on, well, climate. But if Obama is taking on the unprecedented Arctic heat cold and is about to usher in centrally-planned weather, we would be nervous if we were Syria. Very nervous.

And, as an amusing reminder,here is what happens "when Keynesian correlation becomes causation"

Forget high unemployment, hyperinflationary central bank policies, competitive devaluations, and all those useless demographic and political factors that go into the Shoe Thrower’s Index. In what can only be described as a moment of pure Keynesian genius, Paul Krugman concludes that the primary reason for the surge in food riots is…global warming.

Perhaps he’s right. In order to put an end to these pesky riots and revolutions we should reduce our carbon footprint via extensive taxes on emissions (even though many scientists believe CO2 actually lags temperature change). Come to think of it, we should reduce all activities which are ‘positively correlated’ with a rising temperature anomaly, just to be on the safe side. And millions of public sector jobs would be created as new regulatory agencies would be needed, thus solving our structural unemployment issue.

REGULATION NATION: Obama bypassing Congress on climate
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/administration/318599-regulation-nation-obama-pins-climate-hopes-on-bypassing-congress


“Because it’s very difficult to pass any legislation, they’re doing more by regulatory actions and executive order,” said Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky), who is chairman of the House’s subcommittee on energy policy. “To think that [they] are really serious about removing coal from the equation of our energy needs is a big, big stretch.”

In September, the administration is expected to unveil a revised set of draft emissions standards for new power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on additional standards for existing plants, to be proposed next June and finalized the following year.

That second round is likely to be more difficult. Energy companies are expected to be especially vocal about their opposition to the rule, and regulators at the EPA will have technical challenges in reducing emissions from plants now in operation.
[...]
Most of the climate initiative can be achieved without congressional backing, but Republicans are resolved to fight it through whatever means they have.

Before leaving town early this month, House Republicans approved a slate of bills intended to tamp down on the administration’s regulatory authority. Among them is legislation giving the Energy Department veto power over environmental rules that harm the economy.

The bills are likely dead on arrival in the Senate, but Republicans say they’re just getting started in their efforts to shine a light on the economic implications of the climate plan.
[...]
In lieu of legislation, the president has chosen to move ahead via regulation — and it is a painstaking process.

Federal rules, especially major ones, take years to finalize. Even if the rule for existing power plants is completed as expected, which is far from guaranteed, states will not need to submit their implementation plans until 2016. By then, the 45th president will be replacing Obama at the White House.

Supporters say that the Obama has no choice than to act through regulations, given the political landscape.

“It’s great that he’s taking this step through his administrative power,” said Heather White, executive director of the Environmental Working Group. “Congress is going to be a big challenge, as we know. But the science is clear and people are ready and they’re ready for his leadership.”

Delays are likely, too, when opponents of the rule take their grievances to court.

“The more you have these changes coming from executive action and executive interpretations of statutes, you’re going to, on the one hand, get lots of opponents denouncing the changes as sort of ‘Oh, it’s the imperial presidency,’ but more importantly you’re going to have a lot of people who have standing to sue,” said Phil Wallach, a fellow at the Brookings Institution.
[...]
If the regulations emerge unscathed, advocates say they would rank along with ObamaCare as one of the president's top achievements.

“I think that if you were to pair it climate and clean energy, this is the other side of the coin in terms of healthcare. This is the other side of the coin for his legacy,” Pierce said.

What with Kill List Tues., unprecedented and illegal spying, his various unconstitutional wars, ongoing banksta bailouts, the destruction of the middle class, etc., he will have quite the ignominious legacy indeed!

ClydeCoulter
08-26-2013, 08:05 PM
"... legislation giving the Energy Department veto power over environmental rules that harm the economy"

They seem to think they can fix stuff by giving more power to the executive branch. Or, at least I think the Dept. Of Energy is part of the executive, just a different chair around the round table.