Supreme Court Hands us a Big Victory

From: "NRDC - Frances Beinecke"
Subject: Supreme Court Hands Us a Big Victory

Dear Friends,

The U.S. Supreme Court finally set the bush administration straight on global warming.

In a 5-4 vote, the Court agreed with NRDC and our partners that carbon dioxide and other global warming emissions are "pollutants" under the Clean Air Act.

And in a stunning rebuke to the bush administration, the court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency ALREADY has the authority to start curbing those pollutants, which are wreaking havoc with our climate.

This landmark victory belongs to NRDC activists like you, who helped us launch this case four years ago and allowed us to play a leading role in a winning coalition of nearly 30 states, cities and environmental groups. We could not have prevailed without you!

And I know you want to hear exactly what the Court's decision means to our fight against global warming.

First, it obliterates the bush administration's leading excuse for doing nothing about global warming: namely, that it has no power to control carbon pollution. The Supreme Court has now ordered the EPA to stop relying on illegal excuses and to start getting serious about the problem of global warming pollution from new cars, SUV's and trucks.

Second, it removes the major obstacle to measures in California and ten other states that would slash greenhouse gas emissions from car exhaust.

Third, it adds immeasurably to the history-making momentum we've been building -- month by month, victory by victory -- for Congress to pass strong global warming legislation. Consider what's happened in just the last 90 days:

* Ten of the most influential companies in the world joined with NRDC and other leading environmental groups to call on Congress for a mandatory approach to cutting global warming pollution.

* NRDC helped spur a pioneering clean energy accord with TXU, a giant utility, which marks the beginning of the end of America's investment in dirty coal.

* NRDC helped persuade Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon to commit to mandatory caps on global warming pollution, bringing the latest total to 15 states.

A nationwide chain reaction has been unleashed, and this Supreme Court ruling is going to focus new and intense heat on Congress, which is just gearing up for serious debate on global warming. The timing could not be better.

If you haven't already, I urge you to join that chain reaction by making your own voice heard in Congress. Go to http://www.nrdcaction.org/gwtakeaction and send a message telling your Senators and Representative to pass a bill that cuts global warming pollution 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.

It will take overwhelming public support to pass the kind of bold legislation that our planet so desperately needs. But if we can prevail over the bush administration in the Supreme Court, then anything is possible on Capitol Hill.

Let's take the fight to Congress!

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council
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