US Supreme Court rules that EPA has authority to regulate Greenhouse Gases

The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency’s refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars is “not in accordance with law”.  The case was narrowly decided by a majority of five to four and is the first high court decision involving global warming.
More from NewScientist:

“The nation’s highest court said the EPA “has offered no reasoned explanation” for its refusal to regulate CO₂ and other vehicle emissions that contribute to climate change.

This is one of the most prominent environmental cases to reach the Supreme Court in decades. It revolves around the US Clean Air Act’s statement that the head of the EPA “shall” regulate emissions of new vehicles “which in his judgment cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger the public health or welfare”.

The EPA has declined to regulate greenhouse gases from cars under the statute, citing scientific uncertainty. It has also claimed that if Congress had intended for that part of the Clean Air Act to apply to greenhouse gases, it would have said so explicitly when it last amended the act in 1990.”

While this ruling has the greatest potential to affect emissions of greenhouse gases from vehicles, it will be interesting to see how it impacts energy production and thoughts and legislation on other topics such as CO2 caps and trading.

You can read the full article here.
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