Supreme Court Loves the EPA

[Garnier Fructis]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...1f4_story.html

The Supreme Court on Tuesday resurrected an Environmental Protection Agency rule targeting air pollution that drifts across state borders, handing the Obama administration a victory on one of its major environmental efforts.

The agency for years, under two administrations, has struggled to carry out a directive under the federal Clean Air Act to protect downwind states from pollution generated in other states, mostly from coal-fired power plants. The EPA’s rules from 2011 were challenged by a coalition of upwind states and industry, which prevailed in lower courts.

But the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 2 that the latest effort could be implemented, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writing for the majority that the agency must have leeway to confront the “complex challenge” of interstate pollution.

I'm really surprised that this one flew under the radar. I did a search and didn't see any topics relating to "EPA" or "coal," so I figure nobody brought it up. So how about it? Good? Bad? Is Roberts a deep cover liberal?

[breadisfunny]

how did this get past scalia? hes been so hard at work trying to drag us back into the 1950's and then roberts goes and messes it up.

[Mihalik]

how did this get past scalia? hes been so hard at work trying to drag us back into the 1950's and then roberts goes and messes it up.

Scalia compared the ruling to Marxism. Apparently for once sanity prevailed. Scalia seriously disturbs me sometimes.

[Kulanae]

People need to quit asserting that SCOTUS falls under political ideology. It's simply not true. They differ about judicial interpretation of law......nothing more.

[ringpriest]

People need to quit asserting that SCOTUS falls under political ideology. It's simply not true. They differ about judicial interpretation of law......nothing more.

Well, that and how much they accept in bribes.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47855.html
http://btx3.wordpress.com/2011/01/22...ia-and-bribes/

[Kaleredar]

Apparently for once sanity prevailed.

It's about damn time.


However, I'm sure people will jump on the Scalia train and find some way of spinning the practice of making people accountable for their external costs and practices look like it's going to kill America. I eagerly await Fox's knee-jerk lambasting of cleaner air.

Bonus points if someone on fox says "I lived in X previously-affected state when there were no anti-pollution laws, and it never did me any harm!"

[Deleted]

People need to quit asserting that SCOTUS falls under political ideology. It's simply not true. They differ about judicial interpretation of law......nothing more.

People need to quit asserting that the SCotUS is anything else than a random bunch of people.

[Spectral]

the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 2

Before seeing who, I thought, "well, that's got to be Scalia and Thomas". Indeed, it was! The sooner Scalia dies, the better. It'll be hard for Thomas when that happens though, he'll have to find someone else to latch on to figure out his ruling.

[Caliph]

were the coal plants not adhering to standards or something? i don't know the case. I personally don't like government intervention but the more you give corporate america the more they'll destroy. Or did we forget about the near global economic collapse created by wall st. without regulation?

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Before seeing who, I thought, "well, that's got to be Scalia and Thomas". Indeed, it was! The sooner Scalia dies, the better. It'll be hard for Thomas when that happens though, he'll have to find someone else to latch on to figure out his ruling.

lol, so true. Monsanto's finest.

[Reeve]

Sounds reasonable to me. One of the primary functions of the federal government is dealing with stuff that crosses state borders.

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Before seeing who, I thought, "well, that's got to be Scalia and Thomas". Indeed, it was! The sooner Scalia dies, the better. It'll be hard for Thomas when that happens though, he'll have to find someone else to latch on to figure out his ruling.

You know, it reminds me of playing Europa Universalis 4 and having to deal with the College of Cardinals. You're just praying that the cardinal you want to leave the college dies and that the new one is yours, but it never seems to turn out that way.

[Spectral]

Sounds reasonable to me. One of the primary functions of the federal government is dealing with stuff that crosses state borders.

Well, not if you're Scalia. Then, the legitimate functions of government are stopping abortions, stopping buttsecks, and jailing people. That's about it.

You know, it reminds me of playing Europa Universalis 4 and having to deal with the College of Cardinals. You're just praying that the cardinal you want to leave the college dies and that the new one is yours, but it never seems to turn out that way.

Never played. I'm a big Civ fan that didn't play Civ5 because the depth looked stripped down to me. Think EU4 would itch that spot? I'm kind of between games at the moment and a new (to me) turn-based strat would rock.

[Xeones]

Well, not if you're Scalia. Then, the legitimate functions of government are stopping abortions, stopping buttsecks, and jailing people. That's about it.



Never played. I'm a big Civ fan that didn't play Civ5 because the depth looked stripped down to me. Think EU4 would itch that spot? I'm kind of between games at the moment and a new (to me) turn-based strat would rock.

I would give it a shot, especially if you get it on steam sale. It's more of a numbers management game than the others though. Watching videos on youtube doesn't really help you get an actual idea either, at least it didn't for me. Edit: realized I didn't say this I loved the game and it's my first time playing something like it. If you like strategy titles, especially complex ones, I think you'll like this.

On the topic of the thread now! This makes me happy, the EPA has been kind of ignored to the detriment of the people for a while now. As someone who grew up in West Virginia I really wish they would give the EPA some more power.

[Garnier Fructis]

On the topic of the thread now! This makes me happy, the EPA has been kind of ignored to the detriment of the people for a while now. As someone who grew up in West Virginia I really wish they would give the EPA some more power.

Ignored is putting it lightly. Tea Party has its eyes set on the EPA. Remember Bachmann saying we should repeal the EPA?

[Xeones]

Ignored is putting it lightly. Tea Party has its eyes set on the EPA. Remember Bachmann saying we should repeal the EPA?

Yes, but even Obama has done nothing to fix the beating the EPA has taken over the years. Any punishments it does are basically jokes to corporations, like the coal companies in WV which are constantly putting thousands at risk.

[Reeve]

Well, not if you're Scalia. Then, the legitimate functions of government are stopping abortions, stopping buttsecks, and jailing people. That's about it.



Never played. I'm a big Civ fan that didn't play Civ5 because the depth looked stripped down to me. Think EU4 would itch that spot? I'm kind of between games at the moment and a new (to me) turn-based strat would rock.

It's a high learning curve at first, but it's a lot of fun. Yeah, I'd recommend it. You're much more constrained in EU4 than Civ. Don't expect to just jump in and take over the world.

I just hate playing Catholic nations because there's so much micro-management with the curia. If you're looking for an easy country to start out with, the easiest are probably Muscovy or Ottomans. France seems to be what the UI recommends for new players, but it's a pain, with religious unrest all the time, the HRE on your east, Spain wanting to take chunks out of you to the south, and England across the channel who will always be ahead of you in terms of navy, unless you conquer Britain, which I wouldn't recommend trying for a new player. Once you get better, there are a lot of other nations that are a real challenge.

[Sky High]

it flew under the radar given the dumb shit they have passed in the past few weeks. strange how the court that cowtows to moneyed interests so much would rule against them.

[ringpriest]

it flew under the radar given the dumb shit they have passed in the past few weeks. strange how the court that cowtows to moneyed interests so much would rule against them.

I'm still kind of astonished they ruled like this. (But happy! Very Happy!) The Robert's Court has such a record of pro-corporate decisions. (Even a stopped clock, maybe?)

[lockedout]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...1f4_story.html



I'm really surprised that this one flew under the radar. I did a search and didn't see any topics relating to "EPA" or "coal," so I figure nobody brought it up. So how about it? Good? Bad? Is Roberts a deep cover liberal?

Carbon taxes, thought this was a conspiracy theory guess it's real.

[braeldiil]

were the coal plants not adhering to standards or something? i don't know the case. I personally don't like government intervention but the more you give corporate america the more they'll destroy. Or did we forget about the near global economic collapse created by wall st. without regulation?

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lol, so true. Monsanto's finest.

Congress passed a law saying the EPA had the authority to create regulations for clean air that included the authority to regulate downwind impacts. The EPA wrote regulations that took into account previous efforts to mitigate pollution, as well as the costs of the mitigation efforts. Conservatives sued because the rules didn't apply to everyone equally - they wanted to make the states that had already reduced their pollution reduce the same amount as the states that had made no effort - and because the rules considered costs. Basically, the conservatives were suing to make the rules worse, so they'd be more likely to be repealed.

Justice Scalia also made a significant factual error in his dissent. He completely mischaracterized a previous supreme court decision, confusing the positions of the EPA and the trucking industry. The author of this opinion that he was unable to parse? Antonin Scalia.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

So Justice, prevailed? Woohoo!