Endangering America

18 years ago, the Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. They then asked the Environmental Protection Agency to research whether or not they harm human health.

The Endangerment Finding was the EPA's response—and it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that these gases are dangerous.

Since 2009, the Endangerment Finding has served as the basis for the EPA’s most impactful regulations, enabling the agency to set standards for a range of pollutants, including tailpipe emissions and power plant emissions. Thanks to an ever-growing body of evidence supporting the finding, every previous attempt to challenge it has failed.

But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from trying.

Just days after their plans were leaked, the EPA announced its formal reconsideration of this landmark rule. Their primary argument is that the agency overstepped its authority when it issued the endangerment finding all those years ago.

Using a much narrower interpretation of "air pollution" under the Clean Air Act, they argue that the EPA can only regulate pollutants that directly cause local and regional harm—not global. They also reason that even if the agency did have the authority to regulate these pollutants, it did so “unreasonably”, acting in accordance with pessimistic IPCC reports instead of considering all of the “good things” increased emissions can do for the planet—like helping plants grow and agriculture thrive.

Yeah, we can feel a migraine coming on, also.

The EPA is attempting to justify the repeal with a number of blatantly untrue claims, using the Department of Energy’s recent sham report as its basis. Publicly, EPA Secretary Zeldin has been quick to frame the decision as a major cost-cutter, claiming that it will save Americans $54 billion annually.

He’s not fooling anyone other than fools.

If the Trump administration gets its way, the federal government would lose its ability to regulate greenhouse gases, emissions standards for new vehicles would be rescinded, and the basis for several other life-saving regulations would disappear, paving the way for future rollbacks. The rescinding of vehicle emission standards alone would be devastating, as it would increase transportation sector emissions, worsen air quality, and slow the EV transition—ultimately costing us an estimated $2.1 trillion in net benefits over the next 30 years.

This is our current reality.

Sadly, the very agency that was established to protect the American people has become a tool for the fossil fuel industry to endanger the American people. And bolstered by a Trump-friendly Supreme Court, there’s every likelihood that they will eventually succeed in their repeal.

But that doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel.

By joining the growing wave of pushback against this catastrophic decision, we can help shape a public record of opposition—something that will prove invaluable in future lawsuits and attempts to reinstate the finding.

So no matter how hopeless things may seem, remember: there’s value in standing against this injustice. Fighting back now is part of laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow.

Join us as we raise our voices and work to build our case for the future! Remember -- action is the antidote to despair!

Test your knowledge of hopeful developments with our most recent quiz.

In the pipeline:

Monday - Our interview with THE Dr. Saul Griffith, Electrification Expert Extraordinaire ⚡️
Tuesday - Clean energy could soon dominate global electricity generation 📈
Wednesday - New York goes all-in on electrification with new building standard 🌇
Thursday - Cell-cultivated pork products get approved for supermarket sale! 🐷
Friday - Modular homes help Los Angeles meet the moment 🏠
Saturday - Challenge yourself with our weekly quiz! 🤓
Sunday - Your Weekly Dose of Climate Hope! 🎉

Chemical Clean-Up: In a historic settlement, three major chemical companies have agreed to pay a substantial amount for their PFAS pollution. DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva will pay the state of New Jersey as much as $2 billion, with $875 million allocated toward addressing on-site contamination and up to $1.2 billion to establish a remediation fund. It’s the largest settlement of its kind in the state’s history, and a powerful step toward fixing the damage wrought by forever chemicals. (CBS News)

Forging Ahead: With their EV sales on the up and up, General Motors is doing what it can to keep domestic EV production alive! The company is preparing to import two years' worth of batteries from the Chinese company CATL, which they hope will provide them with enough time to strengthen their U.S. manufacturing sites and secure a source of lower-cost batteries. This is one company that won't be deterred by federal hostility! (The Detroit News)

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