The Trump administration’s revocation of a scientific finding that climate change is a danger to public health is likely to affect communities of color the most. Extensive research has found that Black, Latino, Indigenous and other racial and ethnic groups are more vulnerable to the health consequences from climate change than white people. The Environmental Protection Agency, in a 2021 report, concluded the same. That EPA report found, for example, that Black people were 40% more likely to live in places with the highest projected increases in deaths because of extreme heat driven by climate change.
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A coalition of health and environmental groups is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the rescinding of a scientific finding that has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. A rule finalized by the EPA rescinded a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. The Obama-era finding is the legal underpinning of nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet. The lawsuit filed Wednesday calls the EPA's action unlawful and says the finding supported common sense safeguards to cut climate pollution.
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:
While announcing that he was rolling back the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 endangerment finding, President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made false claims regarding the government declaration, climate change and energy. For example, he said the finding has no basis in fact, but it followed a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases are air pollutants that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. Trump also made false claims about the effects of climate change, the cost of wind energy and the idea of an electric vehicle mandate.
AP Wire
The Environmental Protection Agency has revoked a key scientific finding that supported U.S. regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. This decision rescinds a 2009 declaration that carbon dioxide and other gases endanger public health. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the move Thursday, calling it a major deregulatory action. Critics argue it undermines efforts to combat climate change and could lead to more pollution. Environmental groups are certain to challenge the action in court. The EPA also proposes delaying a Biden-era rule on vehicle emissions, which could impact the push for electric vehicles.
The Trump administration has revoked a scientific finding that climate change is a danger to public health, an idea that President Donald Trump called “a scam.” But repeated scientific studies say it’s a documented and quantifiable harm. The decision from the administration on Thursday reverses a 2009 finding that says warming endangers Americans' lives and health. But researchers have published tens of thousands of peer-reviewed studies on climate and health. Many link warming to more deaths and illness. One study shows U.S. heat deaths have more than doubled since 1999. Other studies tie warming to wildfires, storms, infections, mental health strain, and displacement. Studies also note cold deaths are falling, which can offset heat risks for now.
EPA revokes scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health, removing key basis for climate change fight.
The White House says the Trump administration will revoke a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue a final rule Thursday rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding. The Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain. The White House says the action “will be the largest deregulatory action in American history" and will save as much as $1.3 trillion in avoided regulations. Environmental groups called the shift the single biggest attack in U.S. history on federal efforts to address climate change.
Olympic fans came to Cortina with heavy winter coats and gloves. Their coats were unzipped Sunday and their gloves were pocketed. Climate Central says the timing of winter, the amount of snowfall and temperatures are all less reliable and less predictable because Earth is warming at a record rate. This poses a growing and significant challenge for organizers of winter sports. The International Olympic Committee says that staging future Winter Games as early as January and the Paralympic Winter Games in February is a possibility because of the effects of rising temperatures.
Argentina's Patagonia region is battling severe wildfires, with vast areas of Los Alerces National Park ablaze. The fires have destroyed more than 174 square miles of native forests, forcing thousands to evacuate. Critics blame President Javier Milei's austerity measures, which have slashed firefighting budgets. On Monday, the fires continued to spread. Milei's cuts have stabilized the economy but left firefighting efforts underfunded. Experts say climate change is worsening the situation. Milei declared a state of emergency on Thursday, unlocking funds for firefighters. Many are frustrated, feeling the crisis could have been mitigated with better preparation.