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  3. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a detailed proposal Wednesday for using the government’s regulatory powers to curb

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a detailed proposal Wednesday for using the government’s regulatory powers to curb

admin2013-06-02  56
问题      The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a detailed proposal Wednesday for using the government’s regulatory powers to curb greenhouse gas emissions—reassuring foreign allies of the U.S. commitment to fight climate change and warning Congress that the administration will act on its own if lawmakers fail to address the issue. The rules would force new or substantially modified industrial plants emitting at least 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year to employ "best available control technologies and energy-efficiency measures" to minimize emissions.
     The agency unveiled its proposal hours after Senate Democrats introduced their version of the global warming bill that passed the House in June, and as international climate negotiators gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, to prepare for global warming treaty talks in Copenhagen in December. The EPA and Senate actions stoked(激起 ) optimism among environmentalists and others. Some had voiced concern that reaching agreement in Copenhagen could be difficult if the Senate failed to act, because other countries might conclude that the United States was not prepared to take the steps it has urged other developed nations to take. Both the new Senate bill and the EPA’s proposed regulations address that concern. "We are not going to continue with business as usual while we wait for Congress to act," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson told a climate conference in Los Angeles.
     She said that the proposal "allows us to do what the Clean Air Act does best: Reduce emissions for better health, drive technology innovation for a better economy, and protect the environment for a better future, all without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy." Senators also were aware of the global implications. "We’re geared to move this and hopefully get it to the floor before the Copenhagen summit." said Sen. John F. Kerry, who co-wrote the climate bill with Sen. Barbara Boxer. "I think we’re going to make it."
     The EPA rules would mimic how the agency forces power plants and factories to install "scrubbers" and other means of limiting many types of air pollutants. But it’s unclear exactly how it would apply to greenhouse gases, which scientists blame for climate change. Researchers are innovatively investigating commercial-scale methods to capture and store carbon emissions from coal plants, for example. The new proposal follows one announced by President Obama and automotive executives in May to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. The automotive regulations, which would take effect in 2012, stemmed from a 2007 Supreme Court decision that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are pollutants subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act.
     Therefore, the EPA said, it was required to control greenhouse gases from industrial sources too. Industry groups disputed that logic. The latest proposal must move through a lengthy process of comments and reviews, and will probably encounter legal challenges.  
What does "We are not going to continue with business as usual while we wait for Congress to act" mean by Lisa Jackson?
选项 A、The Senate failed to carry out reaching agreement in Copenhagen.
B、The United States is not prepared to take measures.
C、The United States forces the developing countries to take steps.
D、The EPA will not just wait for government’s decision to carry out action.
答案D
解析 根据题干关键词continue，Congress，Lisa Jackson定位到原文第二段最后一句：“We are not going to continue with business as usual while we wait for Congress to act．”可知他们在等待国会行动的同时，并不会像平常一样只是等待，言外之意是会积极采取措施，故选D项。
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