The Environmental Protection Agency will now have much less power to battle the climate crisis thanks to a Supreme Court decision that limits its authority to mandate carbon emissions reductions. Environmentalist Bill McKibben says the decision will impact the earth for many years to come.
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"This EPA decision means in the short run that it's going to be very hard to do anything about climate change, and takes away most of their authority to regulate carbon. In a slightly longer term, it seems to be setting up a situation where the court will deny agencies in general the right to do much regulating, and for the world, it may be the largest consequence. It undercuts any ability that America has to lead in this fight," McKibben told Jim Braude on Greater Boston.
McKibben said this decision will make a mark on our geologic record for "eons."
"There's nothing that the Supreme Court has done that will last longer than this," he said.
A number of recent Supreme Court decisions, including ones on abortion and guns, don't align with the views of the majority of Americans, McKibben noted. He said voters can voice their opposition in the upcoming midterm elections.
"If we take the fury that we're feeling now and channel it, there is a possibility of a really interesting political outcome going forward," said McKibben. Electing politicians that will eliminate the filibuster and expand the court, and then pressure them to hold true to their promises, will be crucial, he said.
Watch: Supreme Court EPA ruling will have longest-lasting impact of any decision
