The Supreme Court Pauses Obama’s Clean Energy Plan, Now What?
Last week, the Supreme Court put a halt on President Obama's Clean Power Plan, relegating its future to the state courts. Unprecedented and unfortunate, this move further demonstrates why people of faith must get involved. Surely, a matter of legal issue, but one we should openly voice our opinion on.
As we await the outcome and possible derailment of this process, it becomes imperative that the Clean Energy Plan may be subject to dismantling.
While this may feel like a major setback, the likelihood of a full disablement of the historic plan would be odd, to say the least. David Waskow, the international climate director at the World Resources Institute, shared, “Legal experts are confident that the courts will uphold the Clean Power Plan,” giving us hope for the future.
Still, the unprecedented move has forced many of us to stop and think deeply about our role in finding climate solutions. As we move into a new era of Supreme Court Justices, with Justice Scalia's recent passing, we must pray hard. We must pray, but we must also make our voices heard as the Supreme Court moves forward on regulating climate action. In lieu of immediate climate action that is legally binding, we must continue to enact sustainable practices in our churches, masjids, synagogues, temples and homes. Take immediate action with these helpful tips from Blessed Tomorrow.
At the end of the day, legal mandates cannot change the condition of the human heart. For that, we need faith leaders.
Did the Supreme Court Doom the Paris Climate Change Deal?
Robinson Meyer | The Atlantic
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court did something without precedent. It temporarily stopped the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, a set of electricity-industry regulations that serve as the centerpiece of the White House’s climate-change strategy.
Technically, the Supreme Court “stayed” the rules, meaning the Environmental Protection Agency cannot enforce them until the justices themselves decide their legality. The high court has never before issued a stay on a set of regulations before their initial review by a federal appeals court.
And all through this week, the White House and its domestic allies have been rushing to assure everyone: Don’t worry about this. The court’s move barely even affects the national context—and it’s not going to metastasize much further than that.
“In the last couple of days, I’ve heard people say, ‘The Supreme Court struck down the clean power plant rule.’ That’s not true, so don’t despair people,” said Obama at a Democratic fundraiser Thursday, according to The Washington Post.“This a legal decision that says, ‘Hold on until we review the legality.’ We are very firm in terms of the legal footing here.”