WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

[Michael Grove]

   A REALLY SIMPLE GUIDE

   World temperatures are rising because

     of human activity, and climate change

     now threatens every aspect of human

     life. Left unchecked, humans and nature

     will experience catastrophic warming,

     with worsening droughts, greater sea

     level rise and mass extinction of species.   

     

     WE FACE a HUGE CHALLENGE in[DEED] 

     but there are potential solutions.

     What are the key new insights      

     from the IPCC’s WG3 report?

[Michael Grove]

"Today's Supreme Court ruling undermines EPA's authority to protect people from climate pollution at a time when all evidence shows we must take action with great urgency," said Vickie Patton, general counsel for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

It means President Biden is now relying on a change of policy from these states or a change from Congress - otherwise the US is unlikely to achieve its climate targets. This is a significant loss for the president who entered office on a pledge to ramp up US efforts on the environment and climate.

On his first day in office he re-entered the country into the Paris Agreement, the first legally-binding universal agreement on climate change targets. And he committed the country to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 52% by 2030 against 2005 levels.

"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," he said. The outcome of this case will be noted by governments around the world, as it will affect global efforts to tackle climate change. The US accounts for nearly 14% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

A United Nations spokesman called it "a setback in our fight against climate change" but added that no single nation could derail the global effort. In the US, this ruling could also affect the EPA's broader existing and future regulatory responsibilities - including consumer protections, workplace safety and public health. 

The ruling gives "enormous power" to the courts to target other regulations they don't like, Hajin Kim, assistant professor of law at University of Chicago, tells the BBC.