In the aftermath of a brutal cold wave that swept across the US (yes, even to our normally balmy South Florida), we take note of a flurry of interesting news stories concerning global climate change and the likelihood of immediate regulatory action to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a sampling…
From the Wall Street Journal, various states are pressing the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay rulemaking intended to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, fearing that their permitting and regulatory capabilities (and budgets) will be overwhelmed. See online.wsj.com/article/SB126317107565923971.html.
From the Times UK, an allegation that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) used very weak science – or more precisely, mere speculation – in forecasting the imminent disappearance of major Himalayan glaciers. See www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6991177.ece.
And a recent monograph published in the journal Geophysical Letters Review, www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2009GL040613.shtml, questions whether any statistically significant rise in the airborne fraction of anthropogenetic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has occurred in the past 150 years.
As T. Cozzie Consulting explains in our greenhouse gases and global climate change discussion page, we do not “take sides” in the debate over the climate effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, but rather want to ensure that our clients are best prepared to address potential regulatory and business impacts associated with increased demands for a response to this issue. These recent developments suggest that the push to control GHG emissions, either by legislation or regulation, will continue to be subject to heated debate in the months ahead.