Court may force Bush's hand on environment

· States challenge policy on global warming
· Victory would pave way for CO2 emission controls

Ed Pilkington in New York
Wednesday November 29, 2006
The Guardian

The supreme court in Washington will bring its ultimate authority to bear for the first time today on the issue of global warming - hearing legal arguments in a case that environmentalists believe could have far-reaching consequences.

Twelve US states, led by California and Massachusetts and backed by several cities and environmental groups, have brought the case to try to force the Bush administration to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from cars and factories.