So, the EPA has issued is own press release in regards to the Obama Administration’s proposed budget.

“To meet our environmental challenges and ensure fiscal responsibility, we’re proposing targeted investments in core priorities. This budget cuts spending while promoting clean air, land and water, growing the green economy and strengthening enforcement,” said Administrator Lisa Jackson.

The release said, “This budget contains more than $43 million for additional efforts to address climate change and work toward a clean energy future. EPA will implement the greenhouse gas reporting rule; provide technical assistance to ensure that any permitting under the Clean Air Act will be manageable; perform regulatory work for the largest stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions; develop standards for mobile sources such as cars and trucks; and continue research of carbon capture and sequestration technologies.”

Space limits, plus my fiscal ignorance when it comes to the federal budget, prevents me from offering much insight. The only thing I’m wondering about is how do you strengthen enforcement with overall less money, seeing how there hasn’t been much enforcement of venting violations, for example, here in the HVACR industry. And how do you ensure, perform, develop, and continue with less overall money?

And I’m willing to suspect that the proposed budget will get mangled, manipulated, and mauled in Congress with the end result being less - not more - dollars.

It is becoming more and more apparent that concerns about climate change will be addressed from “good of the environment,” or “it is costing too much to do otherwise” perspectives than a fear of fines.