President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 12 that the Environmental Protection Agency is revoking the legal finding that has served as the foundation for combating climate change through legislation. His lack of care and concern for environmental preservation is extremely harmful as it endangers the planet and public health.
The legal finding — coined the “endangerment finding“— found that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles and engines contribute to threatening pollution. The EPA established the discovery under Barack Obama’s presidency in 2009.
It went on to support the Clean Air Act, which regulates air emissions and hazardous air pollutants. The endangerment finding works to prevent environmental damage and minimize health issues globally, which are crucial actions that must be taken to maintain a safe world.
However, Trump has made bold, blanket statements against the scientific finding, claiming that it is “one of the greatest scams in history” and falsely saying it “had no basis in fact,” even though it is supported by peer-reviewed evidence.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the greenhouse gas emission standard that vehicles used to follow has been eliminated.
This is yet another highly concerning decision from Trump in his series of actions that jeopardize public health. The U.S. left the 2015 Paris Agreement for the second time in January 2026 and withdrew from the World Health Organization the same month. It is also anticipated to leave the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as planned in an executive order he signed Jan. 7.
Trump’s efforts to dismantle the country’s fight against climate change are alarming, as the country is expected to experience more frequent and intense severe weather events.
The Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the global average in the rest of the world, and sea levels have drastically risen. These environmental changes alter geographic areas, which results in many wildlife species struggling to adapt and survive.
From a health perspective, climate change events such as floods and wildfires can cause the spread of waterborne diseases and respiratory infections, respectively.
Trump’s advocacy for fossil fuels has been driving this ill-informed anti-climate agenda, expanding oil and gas development in Alaska and signing executive orders to revive the coal industry.
Multiple concerns have been voiced about the endangerment finding rescission, including a statement former President Obama made on social media.
“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,” Obama said on X.
Public health organizations, such as the American Lung Association and the American Public Health Association, announced their intention to sue the Trump administration, calling the appeal “unlawful.”
President and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council Manish Bapna said it is also preparing for legal discourse.
“It is unscientific, it is bad economics and it is illegal, so we’re going to fight it. We will see them in court,” Bapna said.
Trump is deciding to ignore years of scientific research and evidence that support climate change’s disastrous effects. Living on this beautiful planet requires work to preserve and maintain it; otherwise, we are contributing to a potential future where the earth becomes uninhabitable.
Without environmental protection, we are risking a dangerous future for humanity.
This story was written by Rachel Lopera. She can be reached at [email protected]
