US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins all federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases. The so-called 2009 'endangerment finding' concluded that a range of greenhouse gases were a threat to public health. It's become the legal bedrock of federal efforts to rein in emissions, especially in vehicles.
The White House called the reversal the 'largest deregulation in American history', saying it would make cars cheaper, bringing down costs for automakers by $2,400 per vehicle.
Environmental groups say the move is by far the most significant rollback on climate change yet attempted and are set to challenge it in the courts.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump described the 2009 ruling as 'a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry.' He claimed, 'This radical rule became the legal foundation for the Green New Scam, one of the greatest scams in history.'
With a divided Congress unable to agree on legislation to tackle rising global temperatures, the original endangerment finding became central to federal efforts in environmental regulation.
Administration officials are stressing that overturning the regulation could save more than $1 trillion and help cut the price of energy and transport. However, many environmentalists express skepticism, predicting that Americans could end up spending an additional $1.4 trillion in fuel costs, along with potential health impacts leading to thousands of premature deaths.
Observers mention that while the rollback will ease regulatory pressures, it may place US automakers at a disadvantage, restricting their sales in international markets where stricter emission standards prevail.
As the Trump administration seeks to challenge the foundational science behind climate change, a legal showdown over this policy change seems imminent.
The White House called the reversal the 'largest deregulation in American history', saying it would make cars cheaper, bringing down costs for automakers by $2,400 per vehicle.
Environmental groups say the move is by far the most significant rollback on climate change yet attempted and are set to challenge it in the courts.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump described the 2009 ruling as 'a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry.' He claimed, 'This radical rule became the legal foundation for the Green New Scam, one of the greatest scams in history.'
With a divided Congress unable to agree on legislation to tackle rising global temperatures, the original endangerment finding became central to federal efforts in environmental regulation.
Administration officials are stressing that overturning the regulation could save more than $1 trillion and help cut the price of energy and transport. However, many environmentalists express skepticism, predicting that Americans could end up spending an additional $1.4 trillion in fuel costs, along with potential health impacts leading to thousands of premature deaths.
Observers mention that while the rollback will ease regulatory pressures, it may place US automakers at a disadvantage, restricting their sales in international markets where stricter emission standards prevail.
As the Trump administration seeks to challenge the foundational science behind climate change, a legal showdown over this policy change seems imminent.
