President Donald Trump recently reversed key Obama-era environmental policies, sparking strong criticism from former President Barack Obama. Trump’s administration repealed a policy that had determined greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to human health, effectively removing the legal foundation for federal climate regulations.
Among the changes, Trump ended federal greenhouse gas emission standards for all vehicles and engines, standards that were set to remain in effect until 2027. Speaking about the decision, Trump called it the “single largest deregulatory action in American history,” claiming that the previous regulations had harmed the American auto industry and increased costs for consumers.
Obama responded sharply on X, warning that the repeal would endanger Americans’ health and benefit the fossil fuel industry financially. He wrote, “Without this ruling, 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.”
The original endangerment finding, introduced in 2009, allowed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide, methane, and other heat-trapping pollutants from vehicles, power plants, and industry. Its repeal means that federal processes for measuring, reporting, and enforcing vehicle emissions standards will no longer apply.
The EPA claims this rollback will save U.S. taxpayers $1.3 trillion by eliminating the endangerment finding and all associated vehicle emission standards. However, environmental groups have condemned the move. The Environmental Defense Fund warned that reinstating the policy in the future would be legally and politically complicated and could lead to higher costs and tangible harms for American families. EDF President Fred Krupp said, “Stopping protection from pollution that drives worse storms, floods, and skyrocketing insurance costs will only lead to more pollution and higher expenses for Americans.”
This move follows Trump’s prior actions, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, dismissing climate change as a hoax, and eliminating incentives for electric vehicles and renewable energy initiatives introduced under President Biden. Critics argue that these decisions prioritize short-term profits for fossil fuel companies over the long-term safety and health of the American public.
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