A powerful statement was issued this Tuesday by over a thousand American scientists and experts, openly condemning the White House’s aggressive move to dismantle a foundational climate change ruling. This crucial decision has historically empowered the government to regulate emissions that trap heat, protecting both public health and environmental well-being.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is actively working to revoke its own 2009 “Endangerment Finding.” This landmark finding definitively recognized that heat-trapping emissions pose a direct threat to the nation’s public health and overall welfare. For years, this finding has served as the bedrock for numerous federal regulations, including vital emissions standards designed to curb pollution.
However, Lee Zeldin, the current head of the EPA, has controversially argued that this standard, despite being affirmed by the Supreme Court, was based on flawed logic and has caused undue economic damage.
In response, the scientists’ letter delivered a clear message: “As climate scientists, public health experts, and economists, we can attest to the indisputable scientific evidence of human-caused climate change, its harmful impacts on people’s health and well-being, and the devastating costs it is imposing.” They emphasized that this overt attempt to weaken or undo these critical findings and their associated regulations runs directly counter to scientific consensus and the public’s best interest.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, who spearheaded the letter, also sharply criticized a recent report commissioned by the Trump-era U.S. Department of Energy. They reiterated that this report was deeply flawed, presenting inaccurate, contradictory information and misrepresenting crucial data.
“The scientific evidence on human-caused climate change and its consequences was unequivocal in 2009 and, since that time, has become even more dire and compelling,” the letter declared. The signatories collectively urged the administration to cease “dismantling critical climate regulations and evading the EPA’s responsibility by pushing disinformation about climate science and impacts.” Instead, they implored officials to “act with urgency to help address this pressing challenge by limiting heat-trapping emissions,” reminding them that “people across the nation are relying on the EPA to fulfill its mission to protect public health and the environment.”