Key Highlights
- Trump reverses key 2009 Obama-era ruling on greenhouse gases endangering public health.
- The rollback is seen as the “largest deregulation in American history,” with claimed cost savings for automakers.
- Environmental groups and former President Barack Obama criticize the move, predicting increased pollution and health risks.
- The decision has far-reaching implications for federal regulations on emissions from vehicles and other sectors.
The Endangerment Finding: A Legal Pillar of Climate Action
Back in 2009, during Barack Obama’s first term, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that six key greenhouse gases were a threat to public health. This “endangerment finding” was not just a policy move; it became the legal foundation for all subsequent federal efforts aimed at curtailing planet-warming emissions.
But now, in 2024, President Donald Trump has reversed this landmark ruling. He called it “a disastrous Obama-era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers.” Trump’s administration claims this will save $1 trillion and make cars cheaper, reducing costs by $2,400 per vehicle.
Environmental Groups React with Skepticism
Environmental organizations are not buying it. They argue that the move is “by far the most significant rollback on climate change yet attempted.” John Kerry, speaking for BBC, said bluntly: “Trump’s climate change policy will ‘cost lives.'”
The Obama administration had infrequently criticized sitting presidents but this time, the former President wrote on X: “Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change — all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.”
Impact on Federal Regulations
Meghan Greenfield, a former EPA attorney, explains how significant this ruling was. “The endangerment finding has really served as the lynchpin of US regulation of greenhouse gases,” she said. “So that includes motor vehicles, but it also includes power plants, the oil and gas sector, methane from landfills, even aircraft.” Essentially, all federal standards for emissions are built on this one finding.
Michael Gerrard, a climate law expert at Columbia University, warns about the unintended consequences of this rollback. He said: “This rollback is sort of cementing things that have already been done, such as the relaxation of fuel economy standards.” This could put US automakers in a difficult position, as nobody else is likely to want to buy American cars with less stringent emissions controls.
Legal Challenges Loom
The rollback faces significant legal challenges. The Department of Energy had formed a panel of scientists to write a report last year challenging widely accepted climate science. This report underpins the initial proposal to reverse the 2009 finding, but many climate experts complained it was unrepresentative and filled with skeptics.
A federal judge recently ruled that the department violated law in forming this hand-picked team.
So, legal battles are expected as states and non-profit groups try to challenge this decision in court. Meghan Greenfield believes: “If they win at Supreme Court, a new presidential administration could not change that position, in the absence of new legislation.”
As we move into 2024, it’s clear that Trump’s rollback is just the beginning of what could be a long legal and regulatory battle over climate policy. The stakes are high, and the fight for clean air and public health hangs in the balance.
