The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a step closer to regulating carbon dioxide and other gasses that many scientists blame for global warming.
EPA officials said Friday that they have concluded carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases are a danger to public health and welfare. That official finding could lead to efforts to regulate greenhouses gases.
Under U.S. law, there will be a two-month period for concerned people to comment before any new regulations are published.
Friday's action is a sharp change from the policies of the Bush administration which opposed mandatory limits on greenhouse gases on the grounds that such limits could harm the economy.
The U.S. Congress is also working on legislation intended to reduce the gas emissions.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.