CO2 AND THE EPA….This comes as a surprise to me, but the Supreme Court ruled today that the EPA does indeed have both the authority and the responsiblity to regulate greenhouse gases:
In a 5-to-4 decision, the court found that the Clean Air Act expressly authorizes the E.P.A. to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, contrary to the E.P.A.’s contention, and that if the agency still insists that it does not want to regulate those emissions, it must give better reasons than the “laundry list” of invalid considerations it has offered so far.
….The majority did not declare that the E.P.A. must find that greenhouse gases are a danger because they contribute to global warming. But the justices said the agency can escape its regulatory duties “only if it determines that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change, or if it provides some reasonable explanation as to why it cannot or will not exercise its discretion to determine whether they do.”
Even the Bush EPA is going to have trouble arguing that greenhouse gases don’t contribute to climate change — though I’m sure they’ll give it their best shot. This should be an interesting show to watch.
