Struggling for Air: Power Plants and the "War on Coal" by Richard Revesz (Englis

Description

The Nile on eBay Struggling for Air by Richard Revesz, Jack Lienke Struggling for Air offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of the Obama administration policies that have become known as the "war on coal." Unconventionally, the authors trace the origins of this "war" to a fateful decision made by Congress almost half a century ago, when it passed the Clean Air Act of 1970. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Since the beginning of the Obama Administration, conservative politicians have railed against the President's "War on Coal." As evidence of this supposed siege, they point to a series of rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that aim to slash air pollution from the nation's power sector . Because coal produces far more pollution than any other major energy source, these rules are expected to further reduce its already shrinking share of the electricitymarket in favor of cleaner options like natural gas and solar power. But the EPA's policies are hardly the "unprecedented regulatory assault " that opponents make them out to be. Instead, they aremerely the latest chapter in a multi-decade struggle to overcome a tragic flaw in our nation's most important environmental law. In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act, which had the remarkably ambitious goal of eliminating essentially all air pollution that posed a threat to public health or welfare. But there was a problem: for some of the most common pollutants, Congress empowered the EPA to set emission limits only for newly constructed industrial facilities, mostnotably power plants. Existing plants, by contrast, would be largely exempt from direct federal regulation-a regulatory practice known as "grandfathering." What lawmakers didn't anticipate was thatimposing costly requirements on new plants while giving existing ones a pass would simply encourage those old plants to stay in business much longer than originally planned. Since 1970, the core problems of U.S. environmental policy have flowed inexorably from the smokestacks of these coal-fired clunkers, which continue to pollute at far higher rates than their younger peers.In Struggling for Air, Richard L. Revesz and Jack Lienke chronicle the politicalcompromises that gave rise to grandfathering, its deadly consequences, and the repeated attempts-by presidential administrations of both parties-to make things right. Author Biography Richard L. Revesz is one of the nation's leading voices in the fields of environmental and regulatory law and policy. He is Lawrence King Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus at New York University School of Law, where he directs the Institute for Policy Integrity.Jack Lienke is a Senior Attorney at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law, where his work focuses on climate change policy and other forms of environmental regulation. Table of Contents Preface: Conflict and ContextI. Coal: A PrimerII. War StoriesRise of the RhetoricPeeling Back the PropagandaIII. Congress Misses the MarkFly in the OintmentExplaining the ErrorWhat the Transcripts Tell UsUnexpected Deals, Unexpected DevilsMissing the MarkIV. Misadventures in ModificationAltered StatesSpared ChangeWhat Goes Up . . . Might Not CountOld Plants, New TricksA Fishy "Fix"A New Sheriff in TownA Safer HarborConsidering the AlternativesV. Bad NeighborsTall Orders, Taller StacksThere Goes the NeighborhoodWho Will Stop the Rain?To Market, To MarketThe Sincerest Form of FlatteryGrandfathering's Grim TollVI. A Warming WorldThe Carbon Loophole: A HistoryBetween a Cap and a Hard PlaceLet's Make a DealWhat's Grandfathering Got to Do with It?VII. Hope for RedemptionThe Dash to GasThe Role of RegulationBumps in the Road AheadConclusion: A Farewell to Harms Review "Struggling for Air is a clear-eyed look at the realities of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the falsehoods of the polluters' 'War on Coal' campaign, and the irrefutable facts of the climate crisis. Revesz and Lienke remind us how we got here-and why we need to act now." -Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)"Revesz and Lienke document the enormous success of the Clean Air Act and analyze its unfinished business of controlling pollution from aging coal-fired power plants. This book could not be more timely!" -William K. Reilly, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989-93"Revesz and Lienke have written a clear, incisive and compelling account of the coal and electric utility industries' decades-long success in blocking sound environmental policies. They also offer some hope-growing from recent efforts by presidents of both parties-of holding these industries accountable for the serious costs they impose on society. Struggling for Air is destined to be a classic in the study of environmental policy and politics."-Jonathan Z. Cannon, Blaine T. Phillips Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, University of Virginia, and General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995-98"A short, deft history of the U.S. Clean Air Act . . . [E]xcellent for college courses (or even advanced high school classes) in climate change, air pollution, or environmental science and policy." -David Doniger, Switchboard: National Resources Defense Council Staff Blog Promotional Debunks the political rhetoric surrounding the Obama administration's environmental policies. Long Description Since the early days of the Obama administration, conservative politicians have railed against the President's "war on coal." As evidence of this supposed siege, they point to a series of rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that require the nation's power plants to cut their emissions of several types of air pollution. It's true that, because coal produces far more pollution than any other major energy source, the EPA's rules are expected to further reduce the fuel's already shrinking share of the electricity market, in favor of cleaner options like natural gas, wind and solar power. Even so, the rules are hardly the "unprecedented regulatory assault" that opponents make them out to be. Instead, they are merely the latest chapter in a longstanding quest for redemption, a multi-decade struggle to overcome a tragic flaw in our nation's most important environmental law.In 1970, a nearly unanimous Congress passed the Clean Air Act, which had the remarkably ambitious aim of eliminating all air pollution that posed a threat to public health or welfare. But there was a problem: for some of the most common pollutants, Congress empowered the EPA to set emission limits only for newly constructed industrial facilities-most notably, power plants. Existing facilities, by contrast, would be largely exempt from direct federal regulation-a regulatory practice known as "grandfathering." What lawmakers didn't anticipate was that imposing costly requirements on new plants while giving existing ones a pass would simply encourage those old plants to stay in business much longer than originally planned. For almost half a century now, the core problems of U.S. environmental policy have flowed inexorably from the smokestacks of these coal-fired clunkers, which continue to pollute at far higher rates than their younger peers.In Struggling for Air, Richard L. Revesz and Jack Lienke chronicle the political compromises that gave rise to grandfathering, its deadly consequences, and the repeated attempts-by Presidential administrations of both parties-to make things right. Review Text "Struggling for Air is a clear-eyed look at the realities of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the falsehoods of the polluters' 'War on Coal' campaign, and the irrefutable facts of the climate crisis. Revesz and Lienke remind us how we got here-and why we need to act now." -Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)"Revesz and Lienke document the enormous success of the Clean Air Act and analyze its unfinished business of controlling pollution from aging coal-fired power plants. This book could not be more timely!" -William K. Reilly, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989-93"Revesz and Lienke have written a clear, incisive and compelling account of the coal and electric utility industries' decades-long success in blocking sound environmental policies. They also offer some hope-growing from recent efforts by presidents of both parties-of holding these industries accountable for the serious costs they impose on society. Struggling for Air is destined to be a classic in the study of environmental policy and politics."-Jonathan Z. Cannon, Blaine T. Phillips Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, University of Virginia, and General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995-98"A short, deft history of the U.S. Clean Air Act . . . [E]xcellent for college courses (or even advanced high school classes) in climate change, air pollution, or environmental science and policy." -David Doniger, Switchboard: National Resources Defense Council Staff Blog Review Quote "Struggling for Air is a clear-eyed look at the realities of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the falsehoods of the polluters' 'War on Coal' campaign, and the irrefutable facts of the climate crisis. Revesz and Lienke remind us how we got here-and why we need to act now." -Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) "Revesz and Lienke document the enormous success of the Clean Air Act and analyze its unfinished business of controlling pollution from aging coal-fired power plants. This book could not be more timely!" -William K. Reilly, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989-93 "Revesz and Lienke have written a clear, incisive and compelling account of the coal and electric utility industries' decades-long success in blocking sound environmental policies. They also offer some hope-growing from recent efforts by presidents of both parties-of holding these industries accountable for the serious costs they impose on society. Struggling for Air is destined to be a classic in the study of environmental policy and politics." -Jonathan Z. Cannon, Blaine T. Phillips Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, University of Virginia, and General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995-98 "A short, deft history of the U.S. Clean Air Act . . . [E]xcellent for college courses (or even advanced high school classes) in climate change, air pollution, or environmental science and policy." -David Doniger, Switchboard: National Resources Defense Council Staff Blog Feature Selling point: Debunks the political rhetoric surrounding the Obama administration's environmental policies Selling point: Traces the source of contemporary environmental problems to a tragic flaw in the Clean Air Act of 1970 Selling point: Provides a thorough but accessible history of air pollution control in the United States Details ISBN 0190233117 Author Jack Lienke Short Title STRUGGLING FOR AIR Language English ISBN-10 0190233117 ISBN-13 9780190233112 Media Book Format Hardcover Year 2016 Subtitle Power Plants and the "War on Coal" Pages 232 Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Publication Date 2016-01-28 UK Release Date 2016-01-28 AU Release Date 2016-01-28 NZ Release Date 2016-01-28 US Release Date 2016-01-28 Publisher Oxford University Press Inc Imprint Oxford University Press Inc DEWEY 333.8220973 Audience Tertiary & Higher Education We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:159621024;