The Trump administration is poised this week to remove a 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gases pose risks to human health. The move signals the government is no longer willing to place limits on emissions. Those gases cause pollution and are a major cause of climate change . The action was first proposed in July. It is the strongest move by the Trump administration to shift the US away from renewable energies like electric vehicles (EVs). It is also likely to push people to rely more on fossil fuels. President Trump has deemed climate change a “hoax.” He has sought to pull the US away from worldwide efforts to combat it. The 2009 ruling was known as the “endangerment finding.” It allowed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to place limits on emissions by factories, power plants, and motor vehicles. It was based on the consensus of the scientists. The findings describe a clear link between human-generated carbon levels in the atmosphere and how they increase risks to human health. The rule change would remove emission standards in the US. Auto companies would no longer be required to measure, report, and comply with emission standards. That's according to officials speaking with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). It would not apply to sources that stay in place, such as power plants, the WSJ said. Lee Zeldin said the new change would be "the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.” He is the head of the EPA. But some experts oppose the move. They argue it will lead to more pollution. They also argue it will hurt efforts to battle climate change. And it would slow the EV industry in the US, they said. That would give it over to China, they say. "They’re popping champagne corks ... in Beijing," Dan Becker told Reuters. He's the head of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Safe Climate Transport Campaign. "China’s EV makers will face no competition from the US." Reflect: What factors do you think leaders should consider when making decisions that affect the planet and people’s health? Photo of refinery in Texas from Reuters.
