In its first ruling on global warming, the US Supreme Court on Monday 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, according to dpa. The court's nine justices were split 5-4 along ideological lines in the case, which pitted an alliance of 12 states, three cities, businesses and environmental groups against an equally imposing coalition of 10 states, nine automakers, utility companies and other businesses. 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."
