In late June, the Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions in the energy industry.
The ruling, West Virginia v. EPA, found that the EPA and other government agencies do not have broad regulatory authority in matters of “economic and political significance.” Rather, these policies must be decided in Congress.
Protecting the environment has become an extremely political issue in recent years, which makes this ruling even more concerning for those who share the goal of achieving a healthier planet.
There was a time when Democrats and Republicans alike agreed that we must protect God’s creation. The Clean Air Act of 1963 was passed through a giant bipartisan effort; its 1990 amendments were passed under a Republican administration.
Cap and trade programs, a free market approach to protecting the environment and air quality for all Americans, was supported by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
Unfortunately, in recent decades, this has not been the case. With Congress now more polarized than ever, more and more common sense measures to support life and protect the environment, our air, and our children are becoming over politicized. Those who are pro-life should especially bear in mind the consequences poor air quality has on us and our children; in 2015, almost 200,000 deaths were caused by poor air quality.
The Supreme Court decision inhibits the EPA’s ability to broadly regulate carbon dioxide emissions across the energy sector, slowing our progress towards cleaner air and energy across the United States. Indeed, it is now harder to claim the U.S. is a world leader in clean energy, and leaves our nation in a position where China may surpass us in clean energy regulations.
The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land – Leviticus 25:23-24