“There are several agencies (department of energy, department of commerce to name two) that could cover this. Just find the agency that seems to have the most expertise, and most sensible regulatory fit with what you want to do, and give them the mandate and funding to do it.”
But that hasn’t worked for the last 30 years. Why would it all-of-a-sudden work now? The original premise was that business as usual can’t fix the problem, and the track record is there to prove it. The two agencies you mention are headed by secretaries that serve at the President’s behest. If their secretaries don’t do what the president says, they run the risk of being replaced.
Actually, I think we need one fewer agency: I think the DoE and the EPA should become one.
The reason for that is: the Dept. of Energy is concerned with how much energy is used; the EPA is concerned with how cleanly that energy is burned. The EPA has no mandate to consider the amount used to comply with clean air concerns, and vice-versa.
The problem is that the two goals are often at odds with each other: we could be saving a bunch of petroleum by running “lean burn” in gas engines, and relaxing emissions somewhat for diesels (make the limits closer to EU’s.) Is the energy savings “worth it?” The EPA doesn’t know, doesn’t care to know, and isn’t paid to find out.
The EPA monitors all indstries, not just the energy industry. Who is going to monitor pollution from everyone else? BTW, the limits are set by Congress, not the EPA. The EPA does not make policy. They execute policy decided by elected representatives. If elected rperesentatives want to change things, they have the unique power to do so.
If by “just” you mean over a year ago (5 quarters), then, yes, he just got reappointed. The Fed Chairman CANNOT be removed for going against the President’s wishes.