Between a Rock and a Gavel

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of polluters when they sided against recognizing the U.S. EPA’s legal authority to regulate carbon dioxide.

This ruling was a major blow to the planet and makes it harder to fight climate change. In West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the conservative 6-3 majority of the Supreme Court limited the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon emissions in the power sector. They argued that under the Clean Power Plan, the EPA had exceeded congressional authority by pushing utilities to move towards clean energy and away from fossil fuel power generation.

So, what’s next? Where do we go from here knowing we have limited time to act on climate to prevent the worst from happening? How do we do this work while maintaining hope that what many of us are fighting for will one day become a reality? And what does all of this mean for you?

For answers, we looked to a few of the leaders we trust who have been in the climate and justice fight for a long time.

Find out how the latest Supreme Court ruling impacts the future of climate policy, and you ➝

How does this flip the script?

With fewer options at the federal level and new uncertainty over how the Supreme Court will handle regulations, states and local governments have a critical role to play in picking up the slack to accelerate a clean energy future.

Creative Energy

The Buzz

What's happening this week

"THE RIPPLE EFFECT" APPLIES TO EVS ➝

The more electric vehicles people see in their neighborhood, the more likely they are to purchase one, according to new research. Talking with or knowing others who own EVs creates “peer effects” that can influence someone’s decision to buy an EV by reducing their concerns about the barriers like price and charging. So if you're an EV owner, keep talking about it—you're helping drive EV adoption! (Utility Dive)

LOUISIANA MODELS GRID RESILIENCE & DISASTER RESPONSE ➝

Together New Orleans, a coalition of faith and community groups, recently launched a new clean energy project to help New Orleans cope with disasters. Their goal is to secure rooftop solar and backup batteries for faith and community centers so they can supply the power they’ll need to carry out their missions when the next disaster strikes. Beyond serving as shelters for those displaced by disasters, the "community lighthouses" will be staging grounds for volunteers to fan out across neighborhoods and assist residents stranded by flooding or who lack the financial means to evacuate. (Canary Media)

FOLLOW THE KID'S LEAD AND HOLD POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE ➝

Frustrated by slow action on climate threats and mere letters and statements from institutions in response to mass protests, youth activists are trying more targeted confrontations with bankers and politicians—who hold the power to shift both the policies and money behind climate-wrecking emissions. There's a strong focus on the climate 'villains,' such as oil and gas industry executives. They've also shifted to calling out "greenwashing" by banks and other companies aiming to present themselves as acting on climate threats while making little real change. (Reuters)

READ THIS FOR THE GOOD OLE' MENTAL HEALTH ➝

Joy has a powerful role to play in the climate change conversation in boosting morale, helping us uncover creative solutions, and bolstering our resilience. Fix, Grist's solution lab, takes a look at why joy is so crucial in this moment, how to make space for it, and the surprising ways people are channeling it to do better climate and justice work. (Grist Fix)

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