South Dakota has signed on to a multiple state lawsuit against the EPA over attempts to limit CO2 emissions.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the EPA’s move hurts the state’s economy by increasing energy prices and reducing jobs.
But many scientists worry that industrialized nations need to go even further to reduce greenhouse gasses, they cite a disjunct between well-established research and policy.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says he recognizes the need to protect the environment, but he believes the EPA is out of bounds with its new rules to limit greenhouse gasses without the approval of congress. Jackley joined about 20 other states in a lawsuit against the EPA.
“And that’s the big rub with the state attorney generals in the belief that ultimately Congress has not given the EPA, which is not elected it’s a segment of government bureaucracy, to regulate in this fashion. And to regulate in a sense it does not necessarily have the empirical data to support what it’s trying to do,” says Jackley.
Past lawsuits have affirmed the federal government’s authority to limit emissions like sulfur dioxide that can cause acid rain, but Jackley doesn’t believe the Clean Air Act gives the EPA authority to limit CO2. However, many scientists say greenhouse gas needs to be reduced even further. Dr. Bull Bennett is one of the lead authors of the Third National Climate Assessment. He spoke recently at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He says climate change needs to be taken seriously.
“You have an ailment and you go seek out the medical advice of 100 medical doctors. 97 of those medical doctors all come back and say yes, this is what your condition is. Three of those medical doctors say well, it could be but we don’t know. Who are you going to listen to? So, in terms of consensus the scientific community there is no debate, it’s weather or not people choose to accept fact. And the volume of data of evidence supporting this is astronomical,” says Bennett.
For his part Marty Jackley says he hopes the lawsuit brought by a bipartisan group of attorney generals will bring an injunction to halt the EPA limits on CO2 emissions.