After careful review of scientific evidence and public consideration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement on December 7, 2009, stating that greenhouse gases have been proven to harm the health and well-being of the American people; and the research report also found that transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are a major cause of climate change, which leads to hotter and longer-lasting heat waves that pose a significant health threat to the elderly, the poorer, and those with underlying health conditions. Increased ground-level ozone concentrations are directly linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses, posing a health hazard to the American people.
In a 2007 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that greenhouse gases met the definition of air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, a finding consistent with that of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While this report did not include any requirements for emission reductions, the EPA, in September 2009, together with the Department of Transportation, established greenhouse gas emission standards for small vehicles. The original text of these standards can be downloaded from the following link: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-22516.pdf
According to the survey results, vehicle emissions account for at least 23% of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the EPA's proposed greenhouse gas emission standards for small vehicles are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 950 million metric tons, equivalent to 1.8 billion barrels of crude oil consumed by vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2016 over their entire lifecycle.
This EPA investigation focused on six major greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride. These six greenhouse gases have been the focus of research for scientists worldwide and throughout the United States for decades.
President Obama has publicly expressed his support for climate change legislation and affirmed Congress's efforts to pass comprehensive climate legislation. Because climate change poses a serious threat to public health, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a responsibility to respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling and determine whether these six greenhouse gases meet the Clean Air Act's definition of air pollutants. To this end, the EPA held a 60-day public consultation in April 2009, receiving over 380,000 comments to date. These comments have been compiled into a document by the EPA; please refer to it.http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.htmlBased on responses to public consultations and a findings report compiled from scientific evidence, it was determined in July 2009 that six greenhouse gases do indeed pose a threat to human health and well-being. The full report can be downloaded from the attachment.
– Reference source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2009-12-07
– Translated by Plastic Industry Technology Development Center
– For reference only, please refer to the original text and attached file:FinalFindings.pdf
