Reactions as the supreme court EPA decision is announced

 

POSTED ON Jul 04, 2022

 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to curb the impact of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to reduce emissions from power plants. Celebrities and politicians alike took to Twitter to express their thoughts about the ruling.

“No challenge poses a greater threat to our future than a changing climate. Every day, we’re feeling the impact of climate change, and today’s Supreme Court decision is a major step backward,” former President Barack Obama tweeted.

Mike Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, and founder of Bloomberg Media, also expressed his discontent with the ruling.

“This decision marks the second time in a week that the Supreme Court has turned back the clock to darker days that have dangerous implications for public health,” he said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also called the decision “dangerous,” and said her office would keep fighting to stop these pollutants from threatening people and the environment.

Billionaire Bill Gates said “Today’s ruling makes it more challenging for the US to hit its climate goals. It’s now more important than ever for Congress to level the playing field for clean technologies.”

Gerry Connolly, a Democrat representing Virginia, tweeted, “The Supreme Court has decided that the Clean Air Act does not, in fact, allow the government to facilitate — wait for it — clean air. This is outrageous on its face.”

Some, mostly republican political figures, celebrated SCOTUS’ decision calling it “long overdue.” “Congress writes the laws, not government agencies,” U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a press release. “The Supreme Court is sending a strong signal to unelected bureaucrats throughout the federal government to stop reaching beyond their legislative mandate. It is long overdue.”

The SCOTUS decision will have dangerous consequences for the future of our planet. Other government agencies like the Department of Energy are doing their part to reduce emissions to net-zero levels by 2050, in accordance with President Biden’s plan.