The Trump administration recently took a bold step by revoking an essential scientific finding that laid the groundwork for regulations meant to control greenhouse gas emissions. This marks a significant setback for efforts aimed at battling climate change.
Back in 2009, during President Barack Obama’s term, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the endangerment finding. This pivotal regulation labeled carbon dioxide, methane, and four other greenhouse gases as threats to public health and welfare.
These regulations, introduced under the Clean Air Act, affected emissions standards for vehicles, power plants, and facilities within the oil and gas industry.
In presenting this change, President Donald Trump stated, “This is about as big as it gets.” Standing alongside him, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin echoed the sentiment by confirming the termination of the so-called endangerment finding.
Zeldin also announced that all emission regulations for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles, which had been based on this finding, have been eliminated. Automakers will no longer face pressures to transition their fleet towards electric vehicle production.
The origin of the endangerment finding was a Supreme Court ruling in 2007, which classified greenhouse gases as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. It required the EPA to assess if these gases posed a risk to public health.
Lee Zeldin views the revocation as the Trump administration’s most significant move in their campaign to dismantle climate-related regulations. He even labeled it as the grandest deregulatory action in American history.
Former President Obama criticized this decision on social media, expressing concerns that it jeopardizes the nation’s safety, health, and capacity to combat climate change, while benefitting the fossil fuel industry.
The Sierra Club, a prominent environmental organization in the United States, commented that Trump’s decision has entrenched “climate denialism” into official government policy.
The organization cautioned that removing greenhouse gas standards not only endangers the public but also risks industries facing an overwhelming number of lawsuits. Previously, the Supreme Court had decided unanimously in 2011 that companies couldn’t be sued for greenhouse emissions since their regulation was delegated to the EPA.
Throughout his presidency, Trump actively encouraged further fossil fuel production domestically, opposing the then-Biden administration’s push for renewable energy sources and electric vehicles. His actions included withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and repealing key tax incentives for solar, wind energy, and electric vehicles.
