[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Following the official overturning of the constitutional right to abortion by the U.S. Supreme Court, the court has now put a brake on the government's flagship climate policy of comprehensive greenhouse gas regulation. Due to the distribution of justices clearly leaning conservative, the balance of the Supreme Court has collapsed, resulting in a series of conservative rulings.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 30th of last month (local time) that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the government's plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants was an illegal abuse of authority. The ruling stated that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have the authority to broadly regulate greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the ruling, "Limiting carbon dioxide emissions to the extent that coal is no longer used for electricity production nationwide may be a wise solution to the current crisis," but added, "Decisions of that scale and impact must be made by Congress or agencies clearly delegated by Congress."
This is expected to affect U.S. President Joe Biden's goal of halving nationwide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. WSJ noted that the Biden administration has often used regulations instead of legislation to advance its policy agenda amid a deadlocked Congress.
The White House criticized the decision in a spokesperson's statement, calling it "a destructive ruling that regresses our country," and said, "This decision could undermine the government's efforts to keep the air clean and respond to climate change." It also emphasized, "President Biden will not hesitate to use the authority granted by law to protect the health of the people and address the climate crisis."
Recently, the Supreme Court has been issuing conservative rulings. The nine justices are divided with six conservatives and three progressives.
On the 27th of last month, the Supreme Court ruled that praying publicly after high school sports games falls under religious freedom. Additionally, on the 22nd of the same month, it declared unconstitutional the exclusion of religiously affiliated schools from tuition support programs. These rulings depart from the traditional U.S. practice of separation of church and state. All were supported by six conservative justices, with three progressive justices dissenting. The landmark 'Roe v. Wade' decision recognizing federal abortion rights was also overturned by a 6-3 vote.
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