Following up on my article about 2010 not being a good year for the Earth, it seems that even the Democrats are embracing the idea that the government should have nothing to do with GHG’s, climate change or anything that overlaps business with green. Triple bottom line, beware, you are about to be triple double crossed.

This week two senior (!) House Dems filed a resolution to block Obama’s desire to regulate GHG’s even if a climate change bill doesn’t pass Congress. Basically, the EPA wants to regulate greenhouse gases if Congress doesn’t pass a bill. These two Democrats are bonding with Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski to block or overturn anything they may try to do.

Here’s the deal: In 1996 Congress passed a law that allows them to void federal agency rules with a joint resolution within 60 legislative work days.

These will "keep EPA from threatening Congress with its own greenhouse gas policy as we write legislation," House Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton.

Skelton is one who wants a less powerful bill, one that does not include cap and trade.

"A few weeks ago, we introduced a bill to change the underlying law and today's bill is intended to stop the EPA's regulatory actions," said Collin Peterson, Agriculture Committee chairman.

Everyone is freaking out about this- I thought it would be reserved to the Republicans, mostly in the senate, jumping on with Murkowski to try and block anything the EPA has to do with business. What we’re seeing here is fear, I think. The business community is afraid that the hippie EPA will come in and try to take them down with oppressive greenhouse gas emissions rules. And they are fighting back with everything they’ve got. Can you believe it is a senator from Alaska, one of the most beautiful, environmentally healthy states in the country that is leading the charge to keep the Environmental Protection Agency out of this?

I understand where they are coming from- for decades environmentalism has pushed the image of businesses and industry as evil and destructive. Washington does not have an ingrained Triple Bottom Line culture- they have one side or the other lobbyists and business is with the Republicans and environmentalism is with the Democrats. That’s not going out the window anytime soon.

But it does need to change. Recently the EPA ruled that greenhouse gases are a danger to human health- and their role is to protect the environment. So of course they should be involved. But not as an oppressive regulatory board. Why don’t they spend billions training and hiring consultants and offices full of connectors to help green start ups help industries make cost-effective steps toward going green? Corporate education on green from triple bottom line graduates. Efficiency experts first in to save the money, Tax credits next, then start talking major changes and reform when it’s 10 years into the corporate culture- it’s not going to happen overnight, folks. And it certainly isn’t going to happen ifyou force it.

Photo Credit: seeks2dream (via Flickr under CCL)