Madison, Wisconsin, June 30 – Today the United States Supreme Court announced a major blow to climate action, severely limiting the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act with its ruling on West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency.
In response to this decision, John Greenler, 350 Wisconsin Executive Director, says:
“350 Wisconsin is dismayed and disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision to hamstring the Clean Air Act – a key piece of legislation for protecting our environment, our health, and our future. A summer of unprecedented heat is already impacting Wisconsinites, and such extreme weather will only worsen if the federal government is limited in its ability to restrict emissions from transportation and fossil fuel-fired power plants – the top two sources of carbon emissions in the US. This ruling will also remove the executive branch’s ability to consider the climate crisis when evaluating oil pipelines and similar infrastructure projects – thus exposing our state’s waters, ecosystems, and people to potentially catastrophic spills from oil pipelines like Enbridge’s Line 5 in northern Wisconsin.
“Our most vulnerable populations will suffer the most from the ongoing climate crisis, with low-income households, BIPOC communities, and young people impacted most. This is not just a matter of climate – this is a matter of justice. With today’s decision and last week’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, the Supreme Court is severely letting down the American people.”
Today’s Supreme Court decision was a major blow to the US climate movement, but President Biden can still fulfill his promises on climate action – he can declare a climate emergency, end new fossil fuel leasing on public lands, and call for an end to the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, such as Enbridge’s Line 5.
350 Wisconsin remains committed to an end to the climate crisis and a just transition to a sustainable future for all. Although the Supreme Court’s decision will create severe challenges for federal Executive Branch climate action, 350 Wisconsin will continue to advocate for other opportunities for meaningful change at all levels to keep average global temperature increases within 1.5°C, as laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement.
350 Wisconsin is an unstoppable movement of everyday people from diverse communities around Wisconsin, working together for justice and an end to the climate crisis. We challenge government, community, and business leaders to rapidly implement the far-reaching changes and solutions we need.
