The Bush Administration had argued that EPA lacks the authority
to regulate CO2 as a pollutant, but political pressure has been
building for the Administration to substantively address the
issue.
Environmental groups leading this case include Greenpeace,
Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned
Scientists. In addition, twelve states and three cities are
plaintiffs in the case. Led by Massachusetts, the states include:
California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The cities
involved are Baltimore, New York, and the District of Columbia. The
Pacific Island of America Samoa is also a plaintiff.
“This is a monumental decision by the highest court in the land,
a victory for our environment, and for people everywhere. At a
time when we can wait no longer for action on global warming, this
is exactly the impetus needed to move the administration towards
concrete action,” said John Passacantando, Executive Director of
Greenpeace USA. “This important suit warranted our support years
ago, when we signed on to become one of the lead plaintiffs, and we
look forward to the next steps in this important move forward for
our system of checks and balances,” he continued.
The following experts are available for interview:
John Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA, an
advocate for over fifteen years on global warming. He is former
founder/Executive Director of Ozone Action, and holds a master’s
degree in economics.
Chris Miller, climate change expert and global warming campaign
leader for Greenpeace. Prior to his work at Greenpeace, Miller
worked for Ben Cohen, Co-Founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice
cream.
Kert Davies, climate change expert and Research Director for
Greenpeace.
Prior, Davies was Director of the Greenpeace Climate and Energy
Campaign in the U.S., coordinating national and state level
campaigns to promote greenhouse gas reductions and renewable energy
development.
CONTACT: Jane Kochersperger, (202) 319-2493; (202) 680-3798
cell
VVPR info: For photos: http://usaphoto.greenpeace.org/media/climate/
