Kenneth Foard McCallion, an environmental legal professional who efficiently litigated circumstances involving the Exxon Valdez and Bhopal Fuel disasters, discusses the implications of the current Supreme Courtroom resolution in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. In a 6-3 resolution in West Virginia v EPA, the conservative justices determined the company can’t create complete insurance policies to scale back international warming. McCallion argues that the Supreme Courtroom has “dealt a physique blow to this nation’s local weather change insurance policies.” The irony is that the Courtroom claims it’s returning energy to the states and folks when 68% of Individuals surveyed by Pew Analysis Middle in 2019 mentioned they consider authorities ought to be appearing to “cut back the impact of worldwide local weather change.” Even 39% of Republicans who responded to that survey agree the federal government just isn’t doing sufficient. Congress has relied on specialists in businesses just like the EPA to formulate insurance policies in response to quickly altering scientific perception into the surroundings as a result of laws takes too lengthy to develop. Now, the Courtroom has undercut that authority.
Kenneth discusses how the Courtroom tipped over to an ideologically charged conservative majority and the prospects for brand new laws to combat local weather change after the ruling. He additionally has recommendation about what peculiar residents can do to affect Congress, state legislatures, and municipal leaders to move legal guidelines and fund packages to scale back emissions, restore nature, and counter the ideological choices coming sooner or later from the Supreme Courtroom. His new ebook, Saving the World One Case at a Time, which recounts his profession combating polluters and representing Holocaust survivors and Gulf Struggle veterans, is offered now from Amazon and Powell’s Books.
