Tighten your gas caps

Environment | Supreme Court justices take on the role of scientist in scolding the Bush administration over CO2 emissions | Mark Bergin

The ultimate planetary impact of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions remains very much a scientific uncertainty. Some climatologists insist that unchecked carbon dioxide emissions will warm the earth enough to melt completely the polar ice caps and bury entire coastal regions under water. Others project more moderate warming, the benefits of which might outweigh potential environmental inconveniences.

On April 2, the Supreme Court traded black robes for white coats, feigning scientific expertise to put a legal end to the debate and declare greenhouse gases a harmful pollutant. With a 5-4 decision, the high court ruled that provisions within the federal Clean Air Act provide authority for the Environmental Protection Agency to set nationwide CO2 emissions standards for new vehicles.