Bush reviewing high court's ruling on emissions

Apr 3, 2007, 16:31 GMT

Washington - US President George W Bush on Tuesday said he will take 'seriously' a Supreme Court decision that rebutted his position by ruling the federal government has the authority to enact limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.

'We're taking some time to fully understand the details of the decision,' Bush said at a White House press conference.

Bush, however, did not say if he will pursue limits on emissions to combat global warming. Instead, he urged Congress to pass legislation aimed at curbing pollution by bringing more alternative fuels into the automobile market.

Bush's plan envisions the mandatory reduction of gasoline use in automobiles by 20 per cent within 10 years.

'There is a remedy available for Congress. And I strongly hope that they pass this remedy quickly,' Bush said.

The Supreme Court in its first case involving global warming said federal and state environmental agencies have the right to introduce mandatory caps on greenhouse-gas emissions, which had been disputed by the United States government.

The court's nine justices ruled 5-4 against the Bush administration in a decision announced on Monday.

The case revolved around whether the government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority, or even an obligation, to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions, specifically on cars, based on a 17-year-old law passed by Congress on air pollution.

The Supreme Court said that the 1990 Clean Air Act was 'unambiguous' in providing a definition of air pollution that could include the harmful effects of carbon dioxide - blamed for global warming - and therefore gives the government and states the authority to take action to reduce vehicle emissions.

'The harms associated with climate change are serious and well- recognized,' Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the court, criticizing the EPA for offering a 'laundry list of reasons not to regulate.'