The Supreme Court yesterday released its decision on the case Massachusetts vs the EPA, which has to do with that government agency's authority to regular carbon dioxide emissions. In a 5-4 verdict, the Court ruled that CO2 is a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act, and that the EPA has the authority to regulate its emissions.
I agree with this summary of the case at NRO. The Supreme Court ought not to be weighing in on this case, but rather the matter ought be handled by the Executive and Legislative branches. In other words, the question is not whether the plaintiffs are correct in their claims, but whether the Supreme Court has any business being involved:
In effect, the Green Supremes just signed the 1997 Kyoto Treaty regulating CO2 emissions, a treaty the elected U.S. Senate never ratified. In fact, though the Clinton Administration signed the pact in 1997, it didn't bother to submit it for ratification after a preliminary, 95-0 Senate vote declared the treaty unacceptable.
No matter, the justices have substituted their opinions for our elected bodies.
Follow the link, and it provides a link to the actual written opinions provided by the Court.
RSS
