The New York Times has a must-read story today about six former heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who said yesterday that the Bush administration is not doing enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Five of the six served under Republican presidents.

According to the story, by Michael Janofsky, current EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson defended the agency’s policies. But the former EPA chiefs said – in no uncertain terms – that the present administration’s lack of action on greenhouse gas emissions were irresponsible and inadequate. The story quotes Russell E. Train, EPA head under Nixon, as saying, “To sit back and push this away and deal with it sometime down the road is dishonest and self-destructive.”

Climate change has evolved into a political issue, with most Democrats urging action and many Republicans – particularly the current administration – calling for more research before adopting concrete policies. But this partisan split – which was never absolute, of course – seems to be on the way out. Increasingly, those on the Right – including some evangelical Christians – are taking up the call to action on climate change.

Image credit: EPA