US President Joe Biden termed the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia vs. EPA as ‘another devastating decision’ and said that he will not relent in using his lawful authorities to protect the public health and tackle the climate crisis.
“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,” Biden said in a statement. This statement comes after the Supreme Court curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to broadly regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants.
US President said that he had directed his legal team to work with the department of justice and affected agencies to review the decision. He also said to find ways under federal law and 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 per cent 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,” Biden said.
US President said that they cannot ignore the danger that it poses to public health and the existential threat of the climate crisis. He also pointed out that 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,” Biden said.
“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,” he added.
This decision is seen as a major defeat for the Biden administration as he attempted to slash the emission at a moment when the scientists are sounding alarms about the accelerating pace of global warming, according to CNN.