Living in Peace and Wisdom on our Planet

We refer to it all the time: the Environmental Protection Agency.

Regardless of how poorly one might think this federal agency has shouldered its charge to conserve and protect the natural environment of the United States, anyone can see that they are the ones that should be doing it.

Anyone, that is, but Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday left open the possibility that she would seek a vote next week on stopping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from going forward with regulations to limit greenhouse-gas emissions.

"I do not believe and I don't believe that most of my colleagues in the Senate believe that the EPA is the entity that is the best suited to develop climate-change policy for this country," Ms. Murkowski told reporters. "I'm trying to get a time-out. I'm trying to allow the legislative process to proceed. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to have a vote that will allow for that discussion."

(Don't be coy Senator, we all know that "time-out" is just a cute term for standing in the way of progress while climate deniers like the US Chamber of Commerce scrambles to file petty lawsuits against the EPA).

It's no secret that the United States has been dragging it's feet on creating a legitimate legislation that will curb the effects of its disproportionate creation of emissions, and this type of thiny veiled diversionary tactic will only exacerbate things.

Rather than the educated "discussion" that Sen. Murkowski claims to be so hopeful for, it's likely that this delay is exactly the effect that the propsed amendment is intended to have, given the fact that she had help from industry lobbyists with the writing of it.

The Washington Post reported:

"...two Washington lobbyists, Jeffrey R. Holmstead and Roger R. Martella, Jr., helped craft the original amendment Murkowski planned to offer on the floor last fall. Both Holmstead, who heads the Environmental Strategies Group and Bracewell & Guiliani, and Martella, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, held senior posts at EPA under the Bush administration and represents multiple clients with an interest in climate legislation pending before Congress."

While Murkowski decides whether she will bring the amendment to the floor as early as next week, Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have been rushing to disprove her claim that most of her colleagues also feel that the EPA should be prevented from upholding the Clean Air Act.

On the contrary, all of the Members of the Democratic Caucus on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have joined together to oppose the proposal to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) global warming endangerment finding, according to a recent press release.

"Debating policy choices regarding the appropriate response to unchecked climate change is fair, and the Senate will continue to evaluate the best tools for addressing greenhouse gas emissions," Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) and fellow Democrats wrote in a letter to colleagues. "But repealing an endangerment finding based upon years of work by America's scientists and public health experts is not appropriate."

These comments refer to a recent EPA finding that greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, pose a threat to human health and welfare.

Unrestrained industrial pollution is causing severe health problems both directly and indirectly in the United States, as well as having dire consequences on the natural environment, especially in Alaska. Sen. Murkowski seems to have forgotton that as a member of the national government, she is charged with protecting the well being of American citizens, NOT INDUSTRIAL CORPORATIONS!

Take action and show Murkowski and her lobbyist allies that we can see right through their charade.

SIGN the "Stop Clean Air Attacks in the U.S. Senate!" petition on Earthjustice.org

Repower America is also offering a customizable letter that can be sent to Senators of all 50 states.