Supreme Court decision rules against EPA

Yesterday was a big day in the battle against global warming, as the Supreme Court voted against the EPA in the Massachusetts v. EPA case. The decision, which is perhaps the most important environmental case of the decade, rejected a long list of excuses that the Bush Administration EPA gave for failing to control the emission of greenhouse gases as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Hopefully the monuemental decision will spur Americans into action-- the US is one of the leaders in greenhouse gas emissions, yet an international BBC poll found that Americans and Europeans are the least concerned about climate change. Go figure. The decision will likely bring regulations into the car industry and other large scale industrial outfits, but personal regulations for emissions aren't likely for any time soon.

However, there are hundreds of small things that we can each do to reduce our carbon imprint, and Time magazine compiled a list of 51 things that the average person can do to cut their emissions, from using public transportation to insulating your water heater.

Although the EPA isn't on the list of favorites at the current moment, their Energy Star program (shared with the department of Energy) is dedicated to promoting energy efficiency for the sake of saving the environment AND saving money. In 2006, ENergy Star helped people to save $14 billion in Utility bills at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 25 million cars. Homes, household appliances, and renovation plans which are Energy Star approved supposedly enable customers to pay one third less in utility bills, and reduce emissions by roughly the same amount. In February 2007, more than 3,200 buildings had earned Energy Star approval, and they rate almost any household and business appliance you can conjure up, from dehumidifiers to vending machines. New York has 696 businesses that have become Energy Star partners, including NYU medical center, among many others.

Yesterday's historical first supreme court decision to deal with global warming brought the issue into the news spotlight, and maybe people will begin to realize that by cutting emissions they can actually save a lot of money. Who can say no to that?