House wrong in attempt to strip EPA authority

An April 10 story stated that the House passed HR 910 “denying the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions associated with climate change and challenging the science upon which those regulations are based. The Senate defeated a similar measure.”

An example of this “challenged” science is a summary statement by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a highly respected international authority, stating: “Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will increase during the next century unless greenhouse gas emissions decrease substantially from present levels. Increased greenhouse gas concentrations are very likely to raise the Earth's average temperature, influence precipitation and some storm patterns, as well as raise sea levels.”

I am aghast at the House for passing such legislation, and am comforted that the Senate did the right thing. I applaud Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Dave Loebsack for voting to respect climate change as a huge problem, but I am disappointed in Sen. Chuck Grassley for voting to ignore this vital issue.

Matt Brandt

Cedar Rapids