There is no Planet B to move to if Earth's environment becomes so polluted that the human race needs to find a new home because of the damage it caused the third rock from the sun.
Unfortunately, the United States Supreme Court, whose super majority is on a quest to do away with virtually every social justice and environmental protection enacted over the last 50 years (even if it leaves us in an autocratic state or kills us, whichever comes first) signed by both Republican and Democratic Presidents, does not seem to care.
In another six to three ruling, the nation's high court conservatives ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory stance toward setting emission caps on coal powered plants did not have the necessary approval from Congress.
That the planet is experiencing massive climatic upheaval did not seem to phase the six conservative justices, five of whom were appointed by Presidents who did not win the popular vote in their first elections.
Reaction to the Supreme Court ruling from the White House and leading Arizona Democrats was unanimous in its condemnation of the six conservative justice's short sightedness.
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President Joe Biden[/caption]President Joe Biden issued a statement through the White House Press Office which read:
"The Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia vs. EPA is another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards. While this decision risks damaging our nation’s ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis.
I have directed my legal team to work with the Department of Justice and affected agencies to review this decision carefully and find ways that we can, under federal law, continue protecting Americans from harmful pollution, including pollution that causes climate change.
Since the Clean Air Act was passed by a bipartisan majority in Congress in 1970, the landmark law has enabled both Democratic and Republican administrations to protect and improve the air we breathe, cutting air pollution by 78 percent even as our economy quadrupled in size. Yet today’s decision sides with special interests that have waged a long-term campaign to strip away our right to breathe clean air.
We cannot and will not ignore the danger to public health and existential threat the climate crisis poses. The science confirms what we all see with our own eyes – the wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, and intense storms are endangering our lives and livelihoods.
I will take action. My Administration will continue using lawful executive authority, including the EPA’s legally-upheld authorities, to keep our air clean, protect public health, and tackle the climate crisis. We will work with states and cities to pass and uphold laws that protect their citizens. And we will keep pushing for additional Congressional action, so that Americans can fully seize the economic opportunities, cost-saving benefits, and security of a clean energy future. Together, we will tackle environmental injustice, create good-paying jobs, and lower costs for families building the clean energy economy."
Arizona Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar.[/caption]Arizona Corporation Commissioner and former Tolleson Mayor Anna Tovar commented:
"West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency highlights the need for states to act to curb climate change now. We must set standards that push electric generators towards emissions-free sources of power. I hope Arizona will reconsider the energy rules and get us out of fossil fuel generation."
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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego[/caption]Phoenix Mayor and Sustainability Leader Kate Gallego, in an interview with Blog for Arizona, stated:
"It was a deeply disappointing ruling. There was a strong, legal grounding for the (EPA) program and a strong, scientific grounding to move forward and address the very real crisis that we face. States and cities are going to have to step up and take the lead in addressing climate change."
Attorney General Candidate Kris Mayes[/caption]Former Corporation Commissioner and current Attorney General Candidate Kris Mayes, in an interview with Blog for Arizona, commented:
"This has been a disastrous Supreme Court term for sure. And this case may rival the Dobbs decision (overturning Roe v Wade) in how cataclysmic it is.
I mean, it is really bad for our country and for some reason, the United States Supreme Court decided that it should insert itself as the experts on pollution, emissions controls, and it should be considered the experts on how to address climate change and carbon pollution.
That's crazy. Congress along with (Republican) Richard Nixon created the EPA because it believed we needed experts to assess these issues, to promulgate rules on them, and to help protect our environment.
All of a sudden, the Supreme Court just blew all that up.
Once again, the United States Supreme Court is blowing up decades of jurisprudence and decades of law and precedent. It's just unbelievable.
It's also weird because it's not where the utilities are even headed. So the utilities did not want to see this decision. The utilities were headed towards renewables and they still are. It is not likely that this decision is going to bring back the coal industry, because the fact of the matter is that clean energy and renewable energy is just the cheapest form of electricity available today.
From the standpoint of our ability on a national level to address climate change, this decision was disastrous. I guess the the silver lining is that we have many states that are working on this issue, but we need the federal government to be addressing climate change too.
Again, the weird thing is the Supreme Court overturned or undermined a ruling that had been baked in by the utilities. They were moving in that direction. They were complying with the rule. Everybody, including the environmental community and utilities had actually joined together to implement it.
And here comes the Supreme Court inserting itself as the experts on this decision without any real evidence that they are."
Arizona Corporation Commission Candidate Lauren Kuby[/caption]Former Tempe Vice Mayor and Arizona Corporation Commission Candidate Lauren Kuby wrote:
The Supreme Court’s Decision by the MAGA Supermajority will Hurt Arizonans
"Today, the Supreme Court sided with coal companies and fossil-fuel interests, limiting the EPA from setting the kind of highly effective standards we need to combat the worsening climate crisis. SCOTUS seems intent on not holding corporations accountable for emissions pollution that fuels that crisis.
Arizonans are already living with the devastating consequences of climate change and are counting on Congress to pass bold investments in clean energy. This outrageous overreach comes at a time when we need every tool in the toolbox to combat the climate emergency – especially as Arizona deals with extreme heat, historic drought, dwindling water supplies, and ravaging wildfire. In addition, we need to enable a just and equitable transition for tribal and rural coal-impacted communities, whose land and water we polluted to build our cities.
Expanding clean energy tax credits at the federal level will unlock jobs in Arizona, lower prices for families that are struggling, and help build healthy communities across our state. Arizona already has a robust clean energy sector, with 56,000 jobs, and additional federal investments will create thousands of new jobs while making necessary strides toward environmental justice.
Fossil fuel companies are price-gouging to enrich themselves while Arizona families pay the price. Expanding clean energy will free Arizonans from Big Oil’s greed, saving families money and ensuring cleaner air and water. Big Oil CEOs are profiteering off Putin’s War, enriching shareholders while forcing Arizona families to pay more at the pumps.
Regardless of the SCOTUS ruling, the fact remains that the majority of Americans support transitioning to a clean energy economy. Arizonans know that bolstering clean energy is good for the economy and the environment. The Center for the Future of Arizona reports that over 74% of Arizonans want to see a clean-energy transition, lessening our dependence on fossil fuels while sparking our local economies.
It’s time to take action at the federal, state, and local levels."
Environmental and water supply expert, State Senator and current Congressional District Six Candidate Kirsten Engel posted on social media:
https://twitter.com/EngelForArizona/status/1542539407969894402
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