How to characterize the Supreme Court’s decision to strip the EPA of its power to regulate lethal carbon emissions from power plants and other sources?

The planet is screaming its pain: mega hurricanes flooding millions from their homes; uncontrollable wildfires killing billions of oxygen-emitting trees and animals; droughts not seen in a thousand years; glaciers melting at rapid speed, guaranteed to raise sea levels to the point they will swamp the great cities of the world. All are threats voiced by scientists for decades, but ignored by the GOP-dominated Supreme Court and lesser federal courts, Republicans in Congress, and GOP-dominated state governors and legislatures. In fact, the GOP is not simply ignoring, but aggressively acting to kill anything that might cut into the profits of its patrons, the world’s largest energy corporations, who together bestow millions on the GOP and related organizations to do their bidding.

With just 5 percent of the world’s population – but accounting for some 25 percent of the world’s consumption and emissions of carbon fuels – the U.S. is morally bound to stop its share of poisoning the earth. It is also obliged to use its great wealth to assist poor countries in repelling environmental degradation that is not their doing.

What to do to stop Republican and corporate complicity in attacking all pro-environment policies? Here are three actions: publicly fund federal elections; kill the filibuster; and limit the terms of federal judges to 12 years.

Michael Petit
Portland