First salvo fired in Battle of Copenhagen
The U.S. got in the first big explosion of the Copehagen climate battles. It was not a surprise but timing is everything. The Obama EPA today announced it had determined that global warming is a huma health hazrad and the EPA wil lmovre ahead with greenhouse gas regulations on autos and major industry. Every move they make will be tested by corporate lawyers, delaying any effect for years.
Even as the EPA made its official announcement, they called for Congress to act across the whole American economy.
The EPA move definitely puts the U.S. into a position where it can now lean on other major greenhouse gas emitters, saying "See, we're dong something." Meanwhile, it became clear today that Russia actually favors mandatory CO2 emission standards. Turns out Russia has lots of left over carbon emission permits from the Kyoto Protocol which they can carry over, and then sell to other big-time polluters.
It always becomes clear once you fo.llow the money