"Environmentalists who have tried with little success to stop the Obama administration from leasing billions of tons of coal for mining are hailing a U.S. district court ruling in Colorado last week as a game changer. At issue in Judge R. Brooke Jackson's decision that scrapped federal approval of coal-lease expansion was the impact of coal mining and burning on global warming.

'Last week's win was the first big victory,' said Jeremy Nichols, the climate and energy chief for WildEarth Guardians.

Jackson in June said regulators had failed to pay enough attention to greenhouse gas emissions when they approved an Arch Coal Inc. mine expansion in a roadless area of the Gunnison National Forest."

Manuel Quiñones reports for Greenwire September 17, 2014. [2]