Washington - US President George W Bush on Tuesday said he
will take 'seriously' a Supreme Court decision that rebutted his
position by ruling the federal government has the authority to enact
limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.
'We're taking some time to fully understand the details of the
decision,' Bush said at a White House press conference.
Bush, however, did not say if he will pursue limits on emissions
to combat global warming. Instead, he urged Congress to pass
legislation aimed at curbing pollution by bringing more alternative
fuels into the automobile market.
Bush's plan envisions the mandatory reduction of gasoline use in
automobiles by 20 per cent within 10 years.
'There is a remedy available for Congress. And I strongly hope
that they pass this remedy quickly,' Bush said.
The Supreme Court in its first case involving global warming
said federal and state environmental agencies have the right to
introduce mandatory caps on greenhouse-gas emissions, which had been
disputed by the United States government.
The court's nine justices ruled 5-4 against the Bush
administration in a decision announced on Monday.
The case revolved around whether the government's Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority, or even an obligation, to
set limits on greenhouse gas emissions, specifically on cars, based
on a 17-year-old law passed by Congress on air pollution.
The Supreme Court said that the 1990 Clean Air Act was
'unambiguous' in providing a definition of air pollution that could
include the harmful effects of carbon dioxide - blamed for global
warming - and therefore gives the government and states the authority
to take action to reduce vehicle emissions.
'The harms associated with climate change are serious and well-
recognized,' Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the court,
criticizing the EPA for offering a 'laundry list of reasons not to
regulate.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
USA
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