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Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the Obama administration should regulate oil refineries, household appliances, and even renegotiate climate treaties if Congress does not pass legislation dealing with global warming.
“The president will be taking action by executive order through his administration,” Waxman said at a press conference on Friday unveiling his Safe Climate Caucus, which will work to pressure House Republicans to take up a climate change initiative.
Waxman, who said that Obama’s executive actions would also pressure the GOP, explained that there were several things the administration might do to address global warming.
“We’ve asked the White House to coordinate their activities throughout the various departments and the various areas within the administration,” Waxman explained. “The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] can do a lot more. They’ve proposed regulating new power plants to control emissions, they can go forward and complete that rule."
(AP Photo/Ron Rittenhouse)
“They [EPA] can adopt a rule for existing power plants to reduce emissions. They can also look to oil refineries to do more,” he said. “The Department of Energy can move forward on greater energy efficiency, particularly with appliances – which brings not just a reduction in emissions but a reduction in costs for the consumer.”
“The State Department can do a lot by re-negotiating the Montreal Protocol that dealt with the upper ozone layer but as you see eliminating HFCs [Hydroflourocarbons] can eliminate something that is also adding to climate change,” said Waxman.
The new Magimix Vision Toaster, which has glass sides so you can watch your bread brown. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
The Montreal Protocol is a 1989 treaty that commits countries to reducing and eventually eliminating certain gasses that deplete the ozone layer.
Waxman said there were “other” things that the administration could do in addition to regulating power plants, oil refineries, and household appliances.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday there was not much of anything Obama could actually do because any action he took would have to pass through Congress.
“I don’t know what actions the president thinks he can take,” Boehner said. “He may attempt to do this, but I’m not sure how much he can really do.”