On February 12, the Environmental Protection Agency revoked its 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gases—released from burning fossil fuels—endanger human health. This finding has served as the basis for many federal environmental regulations, including limits on pollution from cars and industrial plants. The EPA’s action was not based on new evidence contradicting the 2009 finding. Instead, the Trump administration has falsely claimed that the 2009 endangerment determination “had no basis in fact,” ignoring decades of evidence supporting the finding.
On February 18, a coalition of public health and environmental groups sued the EPA, stating that the action “abandons its core mandate to protect human health and the environment to boost polluting industries and attempts to rewrite the law in order to do so.” Online reactions to the reversal were mixed. Some praised the Trump administration for “saving taxpayer dollars” and ending government “overreach.” Others questioned the lack of evidence and transparency for overturning the finding. Some critics also pointed to the EPA’s own analysis, published this month, which indicates that the new standard will increase gas prices and result in net costs rather than savings.
Recommendation
If implemented, the EPA’s actions would prevent the federal government from regulating greenhouse gas pollution and could have wide-ranging public health impacts. People may be uncertain about how the reversal may impact their health and daily lives. Health communicators may explain that the scientific evidence regarding greenhouse gases has not changed: Decades of research have definitively shown that greenhouse gases contribute to climate change and are associated with harms to human health. Messaging may also clarify that the now-revoked endangerment finding has underpinned federal regulations addressing the health impacts of climate change, and that revocation could limit federal authority to regulate emissions. Finally, communicators may share environmental health information from established public health sources such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Fact-checking sources: US News, E&E News, The Royal Society
Communication resources: Find more talking points about environmental health
