Jackson battles Republicans on climate science

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) crowed Tuesday that recent events prove he was right seven years ago when he called global warming the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public.”

Inhofe, the ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Public Enemy Number 1 in the eyes of climate bill advocates, pointed to recently uncovered errors in a widely cited U.N. climate change study, hacked “Climategate” emails that suggest climate scientists suppressed dissenting views, and comments by a leading climate scientist that the planet has not warmed significantly in the past 15 years to support his contention that the whole thing is, in fact, a giant hoax.

But Lisa Jackson, administrator of EPA, said issues Inhofe and other Republicans raised at an EPW hearing on Tuesday do not undermine the overwhelming scientific evidence that the planet is warming and humans are a leading cause.

She said she had not seen or heard any new evidence that would lead her to reassess EPA’s finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health and welfare. That decision is the underpinning of an effort EPA is now embarking on to regulate heat trapping gases.

Republicans called EPA’s move a “job killer.” The agency’s recent announcement to delay implementation of the rule didn’t satisfy them. Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said the move “might be seen as a cynical ploy to delay the job killing until after the fall elections.”

But Jackson said EPA regulations would provide businesses with “predictability and time” to manage new greenhouse gas regulations in a cost effective way.

Jackson and committee Democrats said capping carbon would create new green jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Oh yeah, and possibly save the planet.

“Global warming is real. If we do not get our act together there will be devastating impacts for our kids and grandchildren,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) said.