On April 2, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the Environmental Protection Agency’s views, first, that federal law doesn’t authorize it to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas and, second, that the agency would choose not to even if it can. President Bush said the next day that Congress, instead of the EPA, should deal with the greenhouse gas problem:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. On climate change and the decision that was issued yesterday by the U.S. Supreme Court, what’s your reaction to that decision? And don’t you think that this makes some kind of broad caps on greenhouse gas emissions more or less inevitable?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, the decision of the Supreme Court we take very seriously. It’s the new law of the land. And secondly, we’re taking some time to fully understand the details of the decision. As you know, this decision was focused on emissions that come from automobiles. My attitude is, is that we have laid out a plan that will affect greenhouse gases that come from automobiles by having a mandatory fuel standard that insists upon using 35 billion gallons of alternative fuels by 2017, which will reduce our gasoline usage by 20 percent and halt the growth in greenhouse gases that emanate from automobiles. In other words, there is a remedy available for Congress. And I strongly hope that they pass this remedy quickly.
Full statement here.
Barry Barnett
