“Clear evidence” of greenhouse gas dangers cited amid Trump move to undo regulations

By Shannon Kelleher

Scientists and public health advocates are warning of dire consequences amid a worsening climate crisis following the Trump administration’s announcement this week that regulators plan to rescind the “endangerment finding” that forms the basis for limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on July 29 unveiled a proposal that would scrap findings from December 2009 in which then-EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson determined that six heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere “threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.”

The findings by Jackson, an Obama appointee, were based on a scientific report running more than 200 pages that detailed the trendlines and impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, and formed the legal basis for regulatory actions to rein in emissions. The so-called “endangerment finding” came two years after a US Supreme Court ruling deemed greenhouse gases air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Now, if the proposal to repeal the findings goes forward, the agency will be free to repeal such regulations. Removing greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines would save more than $54 billion each year, and would give Americans more choice and flexibility when purchasing vehicles, according to the EPA.

A “cornerstone of public health protection”

But scientists and public health advocates have reacted with alarm to the news.

The endangerment finding of 2009 is based on solid science that has only grown more rigorous in recent years, according to Stanford University professor Noah Diffenbaugh, who spoke in a webinar on Thursday hosted by SciLine, a service affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“The research was strong at the time of the endangerment finding and has only become more strong and more definitive in the intervening years,” Diffenbaugh said. “Since the original endangerment finding, we have had a big increase in understanding how the historical global warming has affected extreme events.”

He noted that scientists now have “clear evidence” that greenhouse gases are driving more frequent and severe droughts, wildfires, flooding and other disasters.

Diffenbaugh said scientific research now also makes it apparent that many aspects of the economy are impacted by climate change, noting the increased financial costs of flood damage and crop insurance over the past few decades.

Advocates for human health and the environment say public health with suffer because of the Trump administration’s move to roll back the regulations aimed at reining in greenhouse gases.

The endangerment finding is a “cornerstone of public health protection,” American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer said in a statement.

“If EPA dismantles essential standards to clean up vehicle pollution, the agency is giving its blessing to more pollution that will lead to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and premature deaths that could have been prevented,” said Wimmer.

The New York League of Conservation Voters also warned of dire impacts.

“The Trump Administration’s repeal of the endangerment finding is a devastating blow to every American who wants to breathe clean air, drive fuel efficient cars, and leave behind a livable planet for our children,” the organization said in a statement.

Fossil fuel advocates cheer

The Trump administration disputes the significance of climate change and on Tuesday, the US  Department of Energy (DOE) released a report underscoring that position.

The report concludes that global warming caused by carbon dioxide “appears to be less damaging economically than commonly believed,” according to a DOE press release, and suggests that US policy actions to address climate change would only have “undetectably small direct impacts” on the global climate.

“Climate change is real, and it deserves attention. But it is not the greatest threat facing humanity,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement.

Fossil fuel proponents were celebrating the move to rescind the endangerment finding, which has been pushed by a powerful coalition of groups for years, including the American Petroleum Institute, the Heartland Institute and a network of foundations tied to oil and gas billionaires Charles Koch and the now-deceased David Koch.

“For a decade and a half, the EPA has used the ‘endangerment finding’ as authority to reject permits, shut down projects, and deny Americans access to reliable, affordable energy and transportation choice,” American Energy Alliance president Tom Pyle said in a statement. “It has reshaped investment and infrastructure to our country’s detriment and has been used as a vehicle to push a political agenda.”

Litigation likely

A coalition of environmental advocacy groups are planning legal action over the issue.

Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Sierra Club said this week that they have been “preparing for this unlawful action.”

“We’ll see the Trump administration in court,” Earthjustice said in a statement.

The EPA “is telling us in no uncertain terms that US efforts to address climate change are over,” Earthjustice President Abbie Dillen said in a statement. “For the industries that contribute most to climate change, the message is ‘pollute more.’ For everyone feeling the pain of climate disasters, the message is ‘you’re on our own.’”

(Featured photo by Getty Images for Unsplash+).