Gov. Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced Feb. 16 that the state of Texas is taking legal action in the U.S. Court of Appeals to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency “endangerment finding” being used to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
In a release, Perry cited the need “to protect the Texas economy and the jobs that go with it, as well as defend Texas’ freedom.” He stating he was acting in the interests of farmers, ranchers, and small businesses – omitting any mention of the oil industry, a major source of funding for his reelection campaign.
Abbott claimed the EPA’s endangerment finding is legally unsupported, because the agency used a scientific assessment from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which Abbott called “scandal-plagued” due to the “climate-gate” controversy over hacked e-mails.
In response, Environment Texas’ Luke Metzger stated: “Gov. Perry should win an Olympic medal for taking the environment downhill. Global warming is the greatest environmental threat facing Texas and the planet and Gov. Perry’s obstructionism puts the state at great risk. We have the technology and resources to be the world leader in clean energy, but instead the Governor is putting the interests of the oil industry ahead of the welfare of Texas families.”
This article appears in February 12 • 2010.