Today, the Environmental Protection Agency took a giant step away from the path it was on under Bush by moving a step closer to finding that carbon dioxide from major global warming polluters threatens our health and well being.

The EPA proposal to the White House could result in national limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Until now EPA had refused to follow a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave it power to control greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The old EPA chief was so political on this and other matters of science that 10,000 EPA employees publicly denounced his policies last year and Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen called for his resignation.

The "new" EPA, as Trip described it last week, is fast rehabilitating itself under Administrator Lisa Jackson, and today’s announcement underscores that. This morning, Trip offered his observation on this latest EPA move:

"This is a wake-up call to invest in efficiency and renewable energy instead of coal and fossil fuels. It also highlights the need to address other major sources of global warming pollution, including autos, trucks, ships and planes."