Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Policy Tracker

Greenhouse gas emissions drop; Net neutrality rules overturned by House

Greenhouse gas emissions drop; EPA proposes stricter PVC rules
Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. dropped 6.1 percent in 2009 thanks to a decline in fuel and electricity consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

An equivalent of 6.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide was emitted in 2009, the lowest amount since 1995. Since 1990, however, greenhouse gas emissions have grown by more than 7.3 percent. Most climate scientists contend greenhouse gases are a major contributor to global warming.

Many business groups have opposed EPA’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gases, contending they will harm the economy by raising energy costs. They contend Congress, not the EPA, should address the issue.

Meanwhile, the EPA proposed regulations that would require facilities that produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to reduce their emissions. PVC resins are used to make everything from latex paints to flooring. Toxics released into the air from the PVC production process can cause respiratory problems and increase the risk of developing cancer.

Net neutrality rules overturned by House; Senate action unlikely
The U.S. House voted 240-179 to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules, which bar Internet service providers from blocking or impeding web traffic.
The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass the Senate, and the White House indicated President Barack Obama would veto the bill.

Rep. Fred Upton, the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the bill would “ensure the Internet remains open and free from unwarranted and unwelcome government regulation. The FCC’s rules threaten to chill the very investment and innovation we need to ensure the Internet keeps pace with the growing demands being placed on it.”

But Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said the bill would “undo the integrity of the FCC’s process and unravel their good work.”

“Americans want the Internet to remain free and open, and the FCC’s net neutrality rules provided just that,” Rockefeller said.
— Kent Hoover, ACBJ News Service