On Thursday, the Trump administration reversed the U.S. government’s longstanding scientific determination that planet-warming pollution endangers Americans, removing a cornerstone of national climate policy.
It repealed the 2009 endangerment finding, which had concluded that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide threaten public health and welfare, marking one of the largest environmental rollbacks in U.S. history.
The administration also eliminated federal emissions regulations for vehicle models and engines from 2012 through 2027 and beyond, calling the move the largest deregulation effort in the nation’s history. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the action would restore consumer choice, lower vehicle and product costs, and save Americans more than $1.3 trillion, though experts disputed those claims.
Scientists, environmental groups, and former EPA officials condemned the decision as dangerous, legally indefensible, and contrary to overwhelming scientific evidence that fossil fuel emissions drive climate change and intensify disasters. California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, immediately announced plans to sue, arguing the repeal undermines public health protections and will worsen wildfires, heat waves, floods, and droughts.
Image courtesy LA Times
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