Dan Becker and James Gerstenzang: President Obama On Global Warming: Finally Part Of The Solution

Let's give a cheer for President Obama's order Monday that his Environmental Protection Agency reconsider President Bush's rejection of the request by California and 13 other states to write their own rules on greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, they will be tougher than anything the Federal government has produced. On his fifth full day in office, the president did what he said he'd do on a central environmental question. Excellent. Now, on to why it matters, and, most important, what's next. The decision sends these important signals: It says the Obama administration is taking with utmost seriousness the challenges posed by global warming, regardless of the obstacles erected by the struggling auto industry. It is a sign to the states that when they come up with good ideas, they should take the lead--and to the federal government to get in line. The United States has produced more greenhouse gases than any other nation. Now, after years of knuckle-dragging, Washington is willing to ... (link)