Under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to impose stricter air quality standards than national standards so long as we receive a waiver from the EPA. Unsurprisingly, the former EPA Director Stephen Johnson had been denying California its waiver without any scientific reason (actually, it was more a directive from the White House).

Fast forward to the Obama Administration and a new EPA Director, and things have dramatically changed:

By now, people around the country have heard the great news that the Obama administration is making California’s tailpipe emission standard the national standard. This announcement carries great significance. The U.S. is finally making a major commitment to reduce global warming emissions – and it’s starting with the second largest source of these pollutants.

For the last eight years, the only environment the U.S. EPA has been protecting is the one on Wall Street. Under Bush (sorry for using the B-word), global warming skepticism grew as big polluters and corporations controlled the lay of the land. Their close ties to Bush and Cheney even led to an unprecedented policy reversal on California’s right to implement stricter tailpipe emission standards. But, as Senator Barbara Boxer said to top global warming denier Senator James Inhofe in 2007 when she took over as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, “elections have consequences.” Under the Obama Administration, one that actually adheres to science, the new Head of the EPA Lisa Jackson is proposing regulation of greenhouse gas emissions (what a concept!):