*JUST A DRAFT* I'll hope to get around to fleshing this out later this weekend.

The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]took a big step ...concluding that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases are a major hazard to Americans' health.

From the report itself:

...the Administrator is proposing to find that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations. Concentrations of greenhouse gases are at unprecedented levels compared to the recent and distant past. These high atmospheric levels are the unambiguous result of human emissions, and are very likely the cause of the observed increase in average temperatures and other climatic changes.

All I know is I'm going to feel like a damned fool in about 10 years if these folks are right. I understand that they are backing the horse that they think is right. But I truly don't see things the same way. Still — if they're right and I'm wrong, I'll be the first to shake their hand. I just get the impression it's a bit of a hard sell:

The effects of  climate change observed to date and projected to occur in the future – including but not limited to the increased  likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves, more wildfires, degraded air quality, more heavy downpours and flooding, increased drought, greater sea level rise, more intense storms, harm to water resources, harm to agriculture, and harm to wildlife and ecosystems —

So, why my skepticism, you ask? Take a look at the above list. Do you see one positive benefit of the GLOBAL. CLIMATE. CHANGING? That's GLOBAL. And CLIMATE. And ANY CHANGE. No one's thought of a single positive benefit? And, if they have — why aren't they being promulgated? Why isn't the analysis more balanced?

I dunno. It just makes my spidey-sense tingle.

– are effects on public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act. In light of the likelihood that greenhouse gases cause these effects, and the magnitude of the effects that are occurring and are very likely to occur in the future, the Administrator proposes to find that atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.

...she proposes to make this finding specifically with respect to six greenhouse gases that together constitute the root of the climate change problem: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and
sulfur hexafluoride.

To any termites who visit this blog I can only say: Watch out, termites! I told you this was on the horizon! Of course, back then all those years  er — months ago, we were call the crisis Global Warming. Thank heavens we've seen the error of our ways!

''In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem [and] the greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare,'' said the EPA, concluding the dangers warrant action under federal air pollution laws.

It's ''a wake-up call for Congress'' — deal with it directly through legislation or let the EPA regulate, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Senate committee dealing with climate legislation. If Congress doesn't move, Boxer said she would press EPA to taker swift action.

Remember, kids: it's not global warming anymore. It's global climate-change. That's a much safer bet. Also remember: all change is all bad.

Er.

Remember that now, after the election. Before the election, change was good. Capice?