AP: Court Rebukes Bush Administration in Global Warming Case

[flpoljunkie]

April 2, 2007
Court Rebukes Administration in Global Warming Case

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court ordered the federal government on Monday to take a fresh look at regulating carbon dioxide emissions from cars, a rebuke to Bush administration policy on global warming.

In a 5-4 decision, the court said the Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to regulate the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from cars.

Greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the landmark environmental law, Justice John Paul Stevens said in his majority opinion.

The court's four conservative justices -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas -- dissented.

Many scientists believe greenhouse gases, flowing into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate, are leading to a warming of the Earth, rising sea levels and other marked ecological changes.

The politics of global warming have changed dramatically since the court agreed last year to hear its first global warming case.

"In many ways, the debate has moved beyond this," said Chris Miller, director of the global warming campaign for Greenpeace, one of the environmental groups that sued the EPA. "All the front-runners in the 2008 presidential campaign, both Democrats and Republicans, even the business community, are much further along on this than the Bush administration is."

Democrats took control of Congress last November. The world's leading climate scientists reported in February that global warming is "very likely" caused by man and is so severe that it will "continue for centuries." Former Vice President Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth -- making the case for quick action on climate change -- won an Oscar. Business leaders are saying they are increasingly open to congressional action to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, of which carbon dioxide is the largest.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Scotus-Greenhouse-Gase.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

[Ian David]

1. Clarence Thomas said, "The EPA should stick to keeping pubic hair out of my Coke." n/t

[tinfoilinfor2005]

2. LOL!!

"Bush Administration Loses Global Warming Case" is the CNN headline.

Doncha love it???

[Supersedeas]

3. ScAlito & Roberts are proving to be loyal lil' Googlings