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New EPA Chief comments on climate change and the US economy

Hydrocarbon Engineering,


The new EPA Chief, Gina McCarthy, has made her first speech after being appointed two weeks ago at Harvard Law School, Boston, USA. In the speech, McCarthy said that companies should ‘embrace the opportunity of climate change’ and use it as a reason to invest and ‘in turn, fuel the complementary goals of turning American into a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing.’

Climate Action Plan

One of the focuses of McCarthy’s speech was the Obama Administration’s Claimate Action Plan which should, according to McCarthy, be seen as an opportunity to ‘bend the curve.’ The EPA have a deadline of September 2013 for setting out a new proposal for the first ever rules setting limits on carbon dioxide emissions from greenfield power plants. This has been blasted by opponents, calling it a new war on coal. However, in response, in her speech, McCarthy labelled the plan as ‘a chance to harness the American entrepreneur spirit, developing new technologies and creating new jobs, while at the same time reducing carbon pollution to help our children and their children.’

The opposition

US Republicans have long been against the Obama Administration’s plans in conjunction with the EPA. In the President’s first four years in office there has been the implementation of the first ever greenhouse gas regulations and a host of updated air pollution health standards which Republicans say have had big impacts on the fossil fuel industries and not always for the best.

A Congressional effort to weaken the EPA came in to play yesterday as the House Appropriations Committee was petitioned to consider a new spending bill. The new bill would cut the budget for the agencies covered by the EPA and Department of Interior by US$ 5.5 billion for the next financial year.

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/02082013/new_epa_cheif_speech526/

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