OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Carbon Emissions are, according to many scientists and even the United Nations, one of the greatest contributors to climate change.
Since 2015 the EPA has had authority to impose regulations to reduce them.
In 2016, Nebraska — along with several other states — sued the EPA saying it did not have the authority to regulate those emissions. On Thursday morning, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling saying they agreed.
"What it means is they are not giving leeway for the EPA, which has scientists and experts, to handle this. They are not giving them the leeway to do this," said Richard Miller, a professor at Creighton University.
Nebraska officials have applauded the move.
In a tweet, Governor Ricketts said the SCOTUS ruling was a win for the "separation of powers" and thanked attorney General Doug Peterson for joining in the lawsuit.
Senator Ben Sasse released his own statement saying in part, "The EPA's loss is a win for the rule of law, for self-government, and for Nebraska farmers and Ranchers."
But the experts following climate change say that couldn't be further from the truth.
"It's bizarre to me. Its very strange to me that people don't understand we are playing for keeps. By 2030 we will have enough CO2 in the atmosphere to turn Western Nebraska, through California and south to Mexico into a dust bowl for 1000 years. So, dust bowl conditions, that's just unfathomable to me the way we are acting," said Miller.
Laws creating new regulations are unlikely in our current political climate, but Miller says if you are concerned about climate change there are steps you can take to make your voice heard.
"Contact Senator Sasse and Senator Fischer. Contact whoever your congressional leader is. Contact them repeatedly have your friends contact them and let them know. Ultimately the people have to be a bigger threat to their political power than the corporations," said Miller.
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