Historic Win for the Environment: The Supreme Court Addresses Global Warming

In a narrow 5-4 ruling (Massachusetts v. EPA) the Supreme Court for the first time recognized carbon dioxide as a major contributor to global warming and ruled that the EPA has the authority to regulate tail pipe emissions.  Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito joined dissenting opinions that would have denied Massachusetts access to the high court and would have ruled that the air pollutant most responsible for climate change cannot be regulated under the Clean Air Act.