APHA urges Senate to oppose resolution to overturn EPA's greenhouse gas endangerment finding (5/27)
The American Public Health Association (APHA) urged the Senate to vote against a resolution that would block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s finding for six greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and constitute a threat to public health and welfare, according to a recent press release.
In a letter to senators earlier this year, APHA and a dozen leading health organizations wrote, “Given the serious public health implications of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, we believe overturning EPA’s endangerment finding is bad public health policy.” The endangerment finding, announced in December in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, enables EPA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act.
Greenhouse gases are the leading cause of climate change, which according to the groups “increase the likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves, more wildfires, degraded air quality, more flooding, increased drought, more intense storms, harm to water resources and harm to agriculture.”
“We strongly urge you to oppose any amendment or resolution of disapproval to overturn or restrict EPA’s greenhouse gas endangerment finding,” the groups wrote.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, will soon come before the full Senate.
Full text of the letter can be found at http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/1AD4D22E-5D35-403E-AE53-DC234C1E6292/0/UpdatedhealthltropposingMurkowskiGHGRes.pdf
For more about the public health implications of climate change, visit www.apha-environment.org/.
In a letter to senators earlier this year, APHA and a dozen leading health organizations wrote, “Given the serious public health implications of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, we believe overturning EPA’s endangerment finding is bad public health policy.” The endangerment finding, announced in December in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, enables EPA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act.
Greenhouse gases are the leading cause of climate change, which according to the groups “increase the likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves, more wildfires, degraded air quality, more flooding, increased drought, more intense storms, harm to water resources and harm to agriculture.”
“We strongly urge you to oppose any amendment or resolution of disapproval to overturn or restrict EPA’s greenhouse gas endangerment finding,” the groups wrote.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, will soon come before the full Senate.
Full text of the letter can be found at http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/1AD4D22E-5D35-403E-AE53-DC234C1E6292/0/UpdatedhealthltropposingMurkowskiGHGRes.pdf
For more about the public health implications of climate change, visit www.apha-environment.org/.
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