Enviro Groups to Obama: Use Executive Powers on Climate Change

'He has the authority; he doesn't have to wait'

How'd that song go? "Take your passion, and make it happen"?

CNN reports that top environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club, are calling on the President to exploit the power of the executive branch to take action on climate change. This as opposed to engaging Congress, or the "place where good ideas go to die" in the words of Sierra Club legislative director Melinda Pierce.

"There is a tremendous amount that his administration can do without Congress," says Pierce. "He has the authority; he doesn't have to wait."

Among the executive actions Pierce and others hope Obama will pursue are mandating high efficiency standards to larger trucks, and more aggressively curbing carbon emissions. It's an agenda with special urgency in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, they say.

"Sandy put this thing back on the agenda with an vengeance and restarted a national climate conversation," said Eric Pooley of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Via CNN.

Should the President circumvent Congress on climate change issues?

[Raptor]

Congress, the "place where good ideas go to die", boy he hit the nail on the head on that one.

[Arumizy]

Sure, if there were any good ideas going to congress or through them. If anything the last four years have shown that intelligence and good ideas do not emerge from Obama or his lackies.

[DerivePI]

"Translation for Dummies" - If executive power is used to expand, contrary to the lawfully elected legislative representatives, can't it also be used to restrict? Will liberals remember their nearsightedness when Bush X dismisses the EPA?

[Tralee]

Well said, the left are myopic when it comes to these Draconian executive orders that Obama is throwing around, they do seem to think they will always be in power. They don't seem to benefit from history, the pendulum swings so far left and then makes a very rapid swing to the right to correct all the mistakes made in the usual over reach of the far left. Or, in easy words to grasp, what goes around, comes around.

[Sinin-n-winnin]

Remember an executive order means that we must be a military state. Article 6 section 2 of the constitution states that the president cannot make executive decisions unless we are under martial law....when we are under martial law the constitution is set aside....wake up people we have no rights as American sheep

[justapirate]

If anyone would use sense, maybe. Sense ain't gonna happen, though.

[John_Matrix]

I think Lemmy said it best with, "Just cause ya got the power, don't mean you got the right."

[justapirate]

Man, that fits the EPA to a T.

[RobertJHarsh]

You mean Barky can kill jobs with Executive Orders? Just crack out a bunch of orders that destroy even more jobs backed up with pseudo science.

[BelinKS]

I knew it wouldn't take lobbyist groups to jump on the Executive action option once it was mentioned. Executive action is for emergency use only and can be reversed by congress and the Supreme Court.

[Tralee]

You are correct, the problem is that it takes time to finally reach the Supreme Court and much damage and needless expense can occur while we wait for justice to finally set things right.

[BelinKS]

@Tralee
I know, but the Supreme Court has been known to halt an order or verdict until they have heard the case.

[Arumizy]

Huzzah for El Presidente! Close down more jobs...i mean Coal powered plants! Make more mandates! Go around the elected reps of the people even more so. After all, its not like they say no this is not good for the US and you do it anyways ( Executive Dream Act anyone)

[sevenSecrets]

Go to beijing and tell me manmade pollution is a myth and that yellow stuff is just chinese fog

[Arumizy]

@sevenSecrets No one said pollution is a myth, we are saying that we want any changes to go through congress and approved by our elected officials who are actually charged with passing these kinds of laws instead of having Obama mandate things and go around congress. Next time read, comprehend and come up with something better then telling someone to go to Beijing to see pollution, expecially when they say nothing about there not being man made pollution.

[Center]

@Arumizy China had a factory fire that went unnoticed for three hours because no-one could see it in the toxic sludge called air. The problem with air is that it rotates around the earth.

[Arumizy]

@Center That's good for them, that still doesn't mean El Presidente should mandate through awesome powers that go through our elected officials who are there to actually make the laws and regulations.

[Center]

@Arumizy I was actually responding to the person who brought up China (my mistake) but the supreme court already ruled that this is legal. I don't want Obama to try on his own until republicans say no to something reasonable. I know the country and by proxy, the world is screwed and my grandchildren will be the ones screwed. The military and our massive infrastructure of government vehicles can be more efficient as they use 25% of US oil.
This argument of global warming is like paying down the deficits and debt with only rich people paying more only. It is a start, but never enough and even if the US was better at emissions, our own are a small amount versus the world. If China continues to have air you can chew, that will hurt our grandchildren. I honestly think there is no hope. Maybe I should become republican with that attitude and have nothing but fear and hatred.

[MongoAPillager]

Should the President circumvent Congress on climate change issues?why don,t we just declare Obama King and get this farce of free country behind us,,what do you want to bet these wack job orgs. had some one whisper in their ear about the executive order idea,

[texas_cutie75]

I wish I could say I am shocked, but I can't. Is this country going to survive his administration?

[bsking]

What is this Congress that you speak of ? we have no Congress in the kingdom of Barack

[hall]

Place to go to die.
Sounds about right for this idea.

[stepped_in_it]

Would like to know what "good ideas go to die". If the "ideas" from the Sierra club involve that we all use tree bark as undies and to wipe our behinds.....let them have it! If the "ideas" are just curb it w/o a better solution, kiss my tree bark undies! Though I want a greener environment, it will require better "ideas" than what is coming out these tree bark wearing, pine needle chewing dumdums!

[Real4WheelDrv]

I'm all for a cleaner environment, but an even bigger issue is our executive orders only apply to OUR territory, the rest of the world will continue clearcutting, strip mining, over fishing etc...the world that WE depend on for a huge percentage of our goods....so what have we really gained. Start working on some practical SCIENCE instead of just saying well we have to stop these things". Or, since I'm dreaming big anyway, use the clout you have to encourage development of SPACE technology, if we can get resources from out THERE, there will be less of a need to destroy what's down HERE.

[Dan_Tien]

The best way for Barack Obama to make progress on climate change is to publicly criticize the whole idea of global warming, call it pseudo-science and laughable. Then all of the people who now criticize it would have to choose between agreeing with a President that they consider the Anti-Christ, or changing sides and demanding action on global warming just to spite him.

[SomethinsFishy]

Heck, President Obama. Just sign an Executive Order to Ban Climate Change. Just state clearly you want "The Good Weather", not "The Bad Weather". Discover the BIG LIE at assaultweaponsbanof2013 dot blogspot dot com

[lawnmowrman]

Why not veto bills that Congress favors to compel Congress to take a preventative stance on climate change. Oh never mind, they'd never be able to work together to get any bill to his desk. Obama has used Executive Order far too many times. enough already

[S-N-A-F-U]

These phony environmental groups want Obama to by-pass congress, which is the only legitimate group in our 3 branches of govt to make laws -- and is NOT Obama's purview! EPA is working beyond their parameters in putting in new regulatory concepts that also have subverted Congressional over-sight and approval, which is effecting our economy and employment prospects.

The constitution is the only instruments that has elevated this nation over all others in its history. This Constitutional Republic don't need self-aggrandized ersatz experts on the scene that think they are smarter than our founders.....

[MarkJM]

Nope, there's a reason our Fore Fathers instilled three branches of government. It's called checks and balances. If King 0bama continues this "executive order" exodus, he's gonna find that he won't be that popular in the end run. Besides, the government shouldn't be getting in the business of pseudoscience anyways. Everything the government gets their grubby mitts on, they make more problems or at the very least they make the current problems even worse.

[tomincali]

just trying to find a way to spread the wealth,taking from here spinning it and come back into the hands of those pushing this nonsense.

[woodtick57]

do they want him to use an executive order to evacuate Florida before it floods?

[Tralee]

For the wacko Tree Huggers, the means justifies the ends, of course they would loudly object should this tactic be used for something they didn't like. It is an abuse of power to constantly ruled by "Executive Order". But, just wait and see, Obama will by-pass congress and try to install his version of Cap and Trade and a huge carbon tax while lowering or ending the gasoline tax. Barbara Boxer put it well, in a speech she gave she said "There doesn't have to be a bill.....the EPA has the authority......under the Clean Air Act" to do whatever they want without any congressional approval at all. So, all of us will be footing the bill for nebulous "Climate Change" expenses that may or may not do much but line the coffers of selected "Green Energy" friends and supporters of Obama, not just one Solyendra fiasco, but many many of them all paid for with increased taxes and the increased cost of the goods we buy. All of you who voted for Obama, be sure to send him a "Thank You" card for allowing you to spend increasingly higher costs for heating and cooling your home, increasingly higher costs for even the lowly and once very inexpensive chicken for dinner. The "Rich" are just the tip of the iceberg for Obama and his tax hungry administration and they no longer needed to circumspect in their goals.