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United States Climate Change Policy
Assessing the avenues for greenhouse gas reductionsunder the Obama Administration
Matt Reudelhuber
ABSTRACT
 The United States is addressing climate change and has been for sometime. However, the action taken to date have only slowed, notreversed, growth in U.S. emission. The Obama administration hasindicated that the U.S. will take a more aggressive approach to theissue of climate change. The analysis focuses on the potential avenuesavailable to the administration. There are several avenues exclusivelyavailable to the federal government. These include developing a novelgreenhouse gas regulatory framework through Congress or regulatingthese gases under existing laws. The administration also has thepotential to support a wide variety of non-federal actions. The analysisalso examines the various forces and methods used to shape theseoptions. This necessarily leads to analysis of avenues completelyoutside direct influence of the administration. In closing, the threemajor fields of action are weighed to determine their most prominentcosts and benefits.
 
United States Climate Change Policy
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Per Mickwitz, Eva Furman, and Matti Melanen of the Programmes for Environmental Policy and Consumption and Production atthe Finnish Environment Institute for hosting a fruitful summer of learningand experience. Specifically, I would have struggled a great deal without theguidance and support of my good friend and mentor Jukka Similä.I am also indebted to Vermont Law School. Christine Ryan of theCornell Library ensured that I arrived well equipped and prepared to beginwriting immediately. Professor Patrick Parenteau made sure I understood thepolitics and position of the Obama Administration’s stance on climate change.Finally, I must thank my good friend Michele Kupersmith for instructing me onthe maneuvering required to be first accepted, and then successful in theprofessional world.At the Finnish Environment Institute my work was funded by theProgramme for Environmental Policy, the Path Dependence and Path Creationin Energy Systems – A Multi-Level Perspective on Technological, Business andPolicy Innovations Project (EnPath) and the Strategic Climate ChangeMitigation Project (SYKE-CCM).2
 
United States Climate Change Policy
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments .......................................................................... 2Table of Contents .......................................................................... 31 Introduction ................................................................................ 72 U.S. commitment to addressing climate change ............................ 73 U.S. GHG emissions ..................................................................... 83.1 Introduction .......................................................................... 83.2 Greenhouse Gases Covered By Agreements ............................ 83.3 Trends in emissions ............................................................... 93.4 Sector specific emissions ..................................................... 113.5 Fossil fuel impact on emissions ............................................ 113.6 Distribution of emissions ..................................................... 123.7 Effect of economy on emissions ............................................ 153.8 Attempts to address emissions ............................................ 153.9 Conclusion .......................................................................... 164 Structure of the United States and resulting limitations to thepower of the federal and state governments ................................. 164.1 Introduction ....................................................................... 164.2 Federal structure: Overview ................................................. 174.3 Checks and balances within the federal structure .................. 17
4.3.1 Executive branch ............................................................................ 174.3.2 Judicial branch ................................................................................ 184.3.3 Legislative branch .......................................................................... 184.3.4 State authority and the limit of federal power ................................19
4.4 State government ................................................................ 194.5 The result of overlapping state and federal laws ................... 20
4.5.1 Federal supremacy ........................................................................ 204.5.2 Federal control over commerce ...................................................... 204.5.3 Federal control over large multistate and international agreements ................................................................................................................ 21
4.6 Conclusion .......................................................................... 215 Federal support for climate change science ................................ 215.1 Introduction ........................................................................ 215.2 Climate science programs .................................................... 225.3 Undue influence of private interests in previous U.S. policyformation ................................................................................. 235.4 Conclusion .......................................................................... 246 Possibilities in the federal executive branch ............................... 246.1 Introduction ........................................................................ 246.2 The 44th U.S. President, Barack Hussein Obama ................... 24
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