Greenhouse Gases: Should These Gases be Regulated? Over the years it has become widely accepted that mankind has the ability to impact its environment immensely; both positively and negatively. Among these impacts is the ability of humans to affect the climate. This idea has been around since 1896, when Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius published the idea of the “greenhouse effect.” However, it was not until the 1950s and 1960s when this idea began to gain support within the scientific community (Weart, 2012, para. 3 - 5). Along with the rise of environmentalism in the early 1970s came more research into the matter. Some studies and models supported claims of global warming, while others predicted smog and dust particles would lead to cooling temperatures (Weart, 2012, para. 8).
As a result to the uncertainty, research activity increased. Additional research showed that the longevity of the components required for global warming have a much longer life-span in the atmosphere, the majority of which are greenhouse gases (GHGs), when compared to those resulting in cooler temperatures (Weart, 2012, para. 8). By the late 1970s, global warming caught the attention of regulators worldwide (United Nations Climate Change [UNCC],
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In 2015, these five economic sectors emitted approximately 6,586.7 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2 equivalents (EPA, 2017 April 14). During this same period, petroleum refineries emitted 175.2 MMT of CO2 equivalents (CO2e), accounting for only 2.7 percent of the total domestic GHG emissions (EPA, 2017 November 17). The environmental impact of GHG emissions from these facilities are highly contested by regulators and industry. These varying beliefs have driven numerous debates and lawsuits over the regulation of GHG