Administration declares carbon emissions a danger

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said today that carbon emissions are a threat to public health. The declaration paves the way for EPA to set regulations on potentially carbon emissions, regardless of whether Congress passes a law on the issue. A 2007 case the Supreme Court ruled that EPA had to consider whether the greenhouse gas emissions are a danger to public health, and today's announcement is a summary of these findings, Lisa Jackson, Director EPA said. Under a 1970 law, the Clean Air Act, EPA is authorized and obliged to make "reasonable efforts" to reduce pollution from greenhouse gas emissions, "she said. "This administration will not ignore the science or the law any longer, nor that we avoid the responsibility we owe to our children and our grandchildren." The findings relied on "decades of sound, peer-reviewed, evaluated in depth scientific data. That data came from around the world and our own American scientists," said Jackson. Jackson soon heads to Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP-15. This announcement means that U.S. officials at the conference can demonstrate a clear commitment to the fight against climate change, "said Jackson. "We hope today's announcement is a further incentive to reach agreements far in our meetings this week." President Obama will be at COP-15 December 18. Today, the White House, he held a private meeting with the climate campaigner and former Vice President Al Gore.