A political cartoon published April 19, 2009, shows a large yellow sun labeled New EPA Regulations sending rays toward dark storm clouds. The clouds display the words pollutants on the left side and extreme weather below them. On the right side the clouds carry the labels global warming in red, drought in orange, heat-trapping gasses in yellow, and G.O.P. in orange at the bottom.

The image was created as the Environmental Protection Agency prepared to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. A 2007 Supreme Court decision had given the agency authority to address emissions that contribute to climate change. Industry and Republican lawmakers expressed worries that new rules would raise energy costs and slow economic growth.

The cartoon places the regulatory push in the center of the frame while surrounding it with symbols of pollution and political resistance. The composition suggests the EPA action faces significant obstacles from both environmental problems and partisan opposition. Observers at the time noted that the debate over greenhouse gas rules would continue through congressional efforts and court challenges for years afterward.