FAS Opposes EPA Move to Revoke 2009 Endangerment Finding
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is revoking its 2009 “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases pose a substantial threat to the public. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) stands in strong opposition.
The science couldn’t be clearer: unchecked emissions of greenhouse gases are increasing the frequency and toll of disasters like flash flooding in Texas, catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles, and stifling heat domes that repeatedly blanket huge swathes of the country. Revoking the endangerment finding would shove science aside in favor of special interests – and at the expense of American health and wellbeing.
“The Environmental Protection Agency claims that the endangerment finding led to ‘costly burdens’ on American families and businesses, when in reality it’s the cost of failing to regulate climate pollution that will hit people the hardest,” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists. “Climate change is driving up the costs of food, energy, and housing even as Americans feel pinched by an affordability crisis. Our government has a responsibility to address this cross-cutting issue, not shrug it off.”
The EPA’s proposal is the latest move by the Trump administration to gut federal climate policy, a campaign that runs counter to public opinion: 4 in 5 of all Americans, across party lines, want to see the government take stronger climate action.
At the same time, revocation of the endangerment finding underscores the need for a durable new approach to climate policy that integrates innovative regulatory design, complementary policy packages, and attention to real-world implementation capacity. FAS’s new Center for Regulatory Ingenuity is leading on this priority, alongside a broad, transpartisan network of partners and public leaders.
“The clean energy transition has unstoppable momentum, and there is tremendous opportunity for innovation on how we design and deliver climate policies that are equitable, efficient, effective, and durable,” added Dr. Safford. “The Trump administration may be stepping back, but many others are stepping forward to create a world free from climate danger.”
FAS is launching the Center for Regulatory Ingenuity (CRI) to build a new, transpartisan vision of government that works – that has the capacity to achieve ambitious goals while adeptly responding to people’s basic needs.
This runs counter to public opinion: 4 in 5 of all Americans, across party lines, want to see the government take stronger climate action.
Cities need to rapidly become compact, efficient, electrified, and nature‑rich urban ecosystems where we take better care of each other and avoid locking in more sprawl and fossil‑fuel dependence.
Hurricanes cause around 24 deaths per storm – but the longer-term consequences kill thousands more. With extreme weather events becoming ever-more common, there is a national and moral imperative to rethink not just who responds to disasters, but for how long and to what end.