NRDC Activist,

Next Monday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency — a case that could have devastating consequences for our ability to fight the climate crisis.

Coal companies have joined with a group of state officials desperately holding onto climate-busting fossil fuels to try to convince the Supreme Court to curtail the EPA’s authority to limit the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis.

It’s pretty simple: West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is a last-ditch effort by powerful coal companies and their allies to block the EPA from acting to protect us from climate change. And, unfortunately, with a court hostile to environmental regulations, these dirty energy cronies could be successful.

NRDC is a party in this high-stakes case, joining with other organizations and states to defend the EPA’s power to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act before the Supreme Court next week.

Learn more about this important case and how we got here on our blog at NRDC.org

West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency threatens to limit the government’s ability to cut carbon emissions from power plants at the worst possible moment.

The climate crisis is escalating, and quickly. It’s jeopardizing our health and safety, causing harsher droughts and wildfires, worsening air quality, stronger storms, and more extreme heat. And the effects of the climate crisis are disproportionately impacting low-income communities and communities of color.

Scientists tell us that we must cut U.S. emissions at least in half by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. But to achieve this goal, the EPA needs to retain its power under the Clean Air Act to limit carbon emissions from power plants.

Why? Our country’s largest industrial source of climate-busting carbon pollution is … you guessed it: power plants that burn fossil fuels. They produce more than 1.4 billion metric tons of carbon pollution every single year, mostly from burning coal and gas.

Limiting these dangerous emissions is not just within the EPA’s rights, it is their responsibility to the American people.

When the EPA defends its authority at the Supreme Court next week, the agency comes supported by not only NRDC and a coalition of other health and environmental groups, but also nine power companies serving 40 million people nationwide. Not to mention the friend-of-the-court filings from the American Medical Association and other public health advocates, prominent legal scholars, and more.

There is so much at stake with this case, and we must show the Supreme Court how important this issue is to the people.

If you can, join other climate activists in D.C. next Monday, February 28 — the day of oral arguments — for a rally outside the Supreme Court in opposition to the coal industry’s efforts. All guests must follow COVID-19 safety protocols, including wearing masks.

Whatever happens next week, know this: NRDC will never stop fighting for the clean energy future we all deserve — in court, in Washington, and in communities like yours.

Thank you for standing alongside us as we tackle the greatest environmental and health challenge of our lifetime.

Sincerely,

David Doniger
Senior Attorney and Strategic Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC