Okay well the Supreme Court handing out another
consequential ruling on thursday weakening the E.
P. S.
Authority to set environmental regulations when
it comes to greenhouse gas emissions
from power plants.
So what does this mean for President biden's Progressive climate plans?
And what does it mean for americans who
are increasingly at risk of climate based disasters?
Joining me now is Maria Owens Powell president of A. F. G.
Council to 38 the biggest union representing E. P. A. Employees Marie.
Thanks so much for coming on the show.
Thank you so much for having me.
We're happy to have. Um So what are the consequences of this ruling? Both for the E. P.
A. And for americans?
So the ruling and the decision it attacks our union 7500 plus E. P. A.
Workers across the country.
It strips are federal scientists of their ability to help the american public
tackle perhaps the worst effects of climate change. And and it strips the E. P. A.
Of its power to protect the environment and
our communities from a worsening climate crisis.
The decision is essentially made it. So E. P. A.
Scientists need to request permission from Congress in order to do our
job which is the protection of human health and the environment.
So what is your union planning to do in the wake of this?
I mean is there action that you can take?
So there is action that each of us can actually take
and and that is to reach out to our
our lawmakers and to let them know that
they
we really demand that the Supreme Court decision be reversed.
Um
Look
basically everyone regardless of race, gender income, Geography.
We all just want to make things a little bit better for our Children.
And that's not going to happen with this type of decision making.
Together we can accomplish the long term goal of meaningful change.
Okay so let's take a look at what the President had to say.
He issued a statement about the ruling yesterday calling it quote
another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards.
End quote. Those are the President's words
also saying he will use his authority to tackle the climate crisis.
What can the president do at this point?
So I know that President biden has mentioned
working with Department of Justice and I wouldn't
presume to to know what um action plan would be coming out of those meetings.
Um But I I do stress, as I had said before,
the need for every individual to reach out to their representatives,
their senators and demand,
you know the decision be
be reversed and also stand in solidarity with the E. P. A.
Scientists and science community and fight for E. P. A.
And not only people but other agencies
that protect our environment and our communities.
So of course this challenge actually presented by
west Virginia and other states that are fossil fuel
producers.
What does that have to do with it and what do you expect might come next Marie.
So I think
the impacts of the rollback remain to be seen.
But what I can guarantee is progress on the
climate change goals will be slowed by this decision.
The targeting of coal fired power plants which are some
of the biggest contributors to global warming will be crippling.
Will be crippled by you know this decision um will be crippled. Bye.
The Supreme Court's
movement to push things back to Congress.
The the goal has always been that the Supreme Court
be a atypical and I'm sorry and a political organization.
So therefore they would be making decisions from not a political standpoint.
And what happened with this decision is that it pushes
these type of of matters back into Congress which we all know is a political body.
So how was the day to day of your union
members gonna change in the wake of this decision?
I don't expect that we'll see any immediate day to day change?
What I do think will be more difficult is as
we get deeper into the work and very necessary work
with regard to the climate crisis.
We will start to see roadblocks and what that will mean is that E. P. A.
Won't be able to create regulations that
have the expansive social and economic impacts
on our own basically.
Um We would have to as I said,
go back to Congress despite decades of precedent doing exactly
that of the agency creating the required regulations to protect
human health and the environment and quickly Marie before we
have to wrap here due to timing for americans,
how might this impact their daily lives?
What changes could they see in the wake of this?
Whether it's directly or indirectly?
Unfortunately, I think they won't.
They may not see change and that what changes exactly what we need right now.
We are on the path of get of a warmer climate
and
the goal of all the climate change work and initiatives is to stop that right.
I don't expect that we'll be able to do that
with this type of decision out of the Supreme Court.
All right,
Marie Owens Powell, president of A. F. G. Counselor to 38 Marie.
Thank you so much for coming on the show.