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Former EPA Administrator Christie Whitman discusses whether the president can pass climate legislation without congressional approval.
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And Obama wants a common tax -- you probably can't get it through congress though so.
You may consider using the EPA or some kind of executive order to make it happen.
Christie Todd Whitman is -- -- formal government just a moment EPA administrator governor weapon welcome back good to see you again -- Always good to be with you.
Can the president -- executive all foreign to the executive orders to get not a carbon tax on -- get -- but can he get his way.
Well we can certainly push the envelope by getting EPA to promulgate regulations but you know congress can stop that too -- and frankly in all honesty and I think we -- I've talked about this event before.
EPA doesn't want to do what they'd rather have congress acts had there's clearly pressure.
We're all seeing that there are changes in -- we're not gonna stop climate change from occurring -- a question -- can -- -- -- enough to be able to deal with that so we can plan for how do we rebuild after storms like -- what is the responsible way to react to these things.
We need to give ourselves some time.
But to have EPA tried to be too aggressive and over -- -- of its regulatory authority.
I think would be do huge damage to our ability to do anything sensible in the future that's the problem do you think though that the president will at least try.
I -- is -- happening a couple of major speeches recently he wants to do something about this so below we go ahead I think I think you might not just.
-- -- Well if congress doesn't -- I think you will he's been very clear about that he said it's look it's it's our responsibility shared responsibility we've both after -- left.
-- deal with this issue but if you don't I will.
And I -- Hope that's just a threat to get congress to.
Start to have some meaningful negotiations and discussions but if this is gonna turn into another one of those partisan battles.
We're not gonna get anything done and where all the worse for it frankly what do you think the first thing is that the president would do via the EPS.
Well what do you do is get them to move forward where there are and their regulations.
Limiting the amount of carbon they can be admitted -- the administrative already established.
-- a ceiling for new refineries coming on a new coal fire prior.
Plants which makes it very difficult to bring them on board because we don't have a kind of carbon discovers.
That would be needed to reach the standards that they've been sad and then they're going to take another look.
And the next year at what to do about the old coal fired power power plants and -- the problem here is it's not that we don't want to clean the air we should clean the air we should reduce the amount of carbon we put into it.
But if he's going to be hugely aggressive on this it's gonna stop any progress at all and it is gonna hurt the economy.
Because business can't react that quickly.
It will what you think of public opinion at the moment.
I just -- -- an editorial that saying I think the global warming people are getting rather desperate.
Because I think the tide of public opinion is going against them.
What's your judgment of public opinion on the global warming climate change issue.
Well actually what I've seen sort of polls here in the United States is that people in the United States are beginning to say something is happening.
I mean in New Jersey we've had 2000 year storms within fourteen months and then the nor'easter in between the people are beginning to make the connection.
To themselves personally there isn't the same kind of public demand for something to happen that we've seen in the past on some of these issues but they're starting be a recognition that yeah.
Something's occur -- you -- the association and you governor of -- just that you had ran the EPA you know what you're talking about is an association between -- spent sending.
And climate -- No responsible person would -- would say that sandy was caused by climate change but when you look at the trends the hottest years we've ever recorded.
The last fifteen years of that twelve of the hottest years have been in the last fifteen continuing.
We see more and storms more frequent stores more severe storms -- frequent droughts.
-- frequent flooding more severe those are all the things that scientists will tell you come from climate change.
Do I believe the climate is changing absolutely.
-- I think it's a natural phenomenon yes but do I think that human activity is exacerbating that.
Without question I think the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere the way we've changed our land use is having an impact on what we need to do is to step back and say.
What can we do to slow this down in a way that doesn't.
Crater our economy and there are absolutely ways to do that.
Governor -- you just having a dig.
Governor Cuomo you said that no responsible -- would links and the and climate change and I believe that Governor Cuomo of new you'll -- Well I've never seen a reputable scientists be willing to say that this storm -- as a result of climate change is the accumulated evidence of these storms.
I mean you can make that but I think it's a stretch to say that frankly -- thank you.
-- governor Whitman always a pleasure and thank you very much for joining us again today I don't know that -- -- you look like human Florida is that true.
Now we are we are you know out of tax refugee audience.
But no I refuse to change my residents -- -- New Jersey resident gonna stay that way governor Whitman thanks very much indeed for joining us appreciate it thank -- a pleasure.
