Trump’s Endangerment

On December 7, 2009, the Obama administration accepted the endangerment finding that, finally, brought fossil fuels in the power of the rule of law. That is, the endangerment finding confirmed that burning fossil fuels harms human health: “The [EPA] Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)—in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.”

The price of ignoring science

According to the Los Angeles Times: “The Trump administration has repealed the 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases, eliminating the foundation of much of U.S. climate policy. The decision reverses decades of environmental progress despite overwhelming scientific evidence and opposition from health experts, environmental groups, 50 cities and nearly two dozen states. Experts warn the repeal will increase pollution, respiratory disease and planet-warming emissions over the coming decades.”

President Barack Obama, in whose administration the endangerment finding became government policy in 2009, was angry for its elimination. He said: “Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. 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.”

There’s little doubt that behind anti-environmental protection actions / policies, there are people or companies making money. After all, modern people emerged in the midst of mining of the land and the seas, deforestation, chemical warfare, nuclear bombs, DDT and hazardous farming. And even the largest car companies, Ford and General Motors, ignore endangerment because their fleets of automobiles and trucks have been polluting America for about 200 years. Pollution and profits seem to be their primary products.

Environmental history

Τhe 2009 finding on endangerment did not come out of the blue. The 1970 Clean Air Act directed the US EPA to regulate air pollutants, but did not point directly to carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that are basically responsible for increasing the temperature of the planet, hence threatening life, human and wild, ecosystems and the order and harmony of nature. The result has been warmer temperatures and climate chaos.

By 1970, however, America was tainted by severe pollution: hazardous substances circulating in rivers, lakes, seas, rains, snow, ice – and in human drinking water and food. Americans were aware of the dangers of DDT, a biocide / insecticide devastating insects, pollinators like honeybees and myriad wildlife species, especially birds. In 1962, Rachel Carson, a government biologist, published Silent Spring, an eloquent book of science and warnings about toxic sprays farmers thoughtlessly dumped on the crops and fruits and vegetables people eat. EPA banned DDT in 1972, but the harm had been done. Many American farmers, especially the largest owners of land, were brainwashed to the extend of being addicted to poisons for growing food. This means Americans still eat contaminated food. Certified “organic” food that prohibits the spraying of pesticides on crops is still a small percentage of the food produced and eaten in the US. Carcinogens and neurotoxins are the favorable toxins of most farmers – growing food in America. Very large farmers / agribusiness exercise their money power in Congress. Their political influence at home and abroad increases diseases, bad quality food, morally reprehensive animal farms and global ecocide – and hunger. In 2024, about 2.3 billion people “experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and chronic hunger affected 96 million more people than in 2015.”

This is one of the reasons why “bad actors” — like fossil fuels — remained unregulated for decades. Petroleum companies and corporations mining coal and natural gas have been even more powerful than agribusiness. They intentionally remained invisible. Fossil fuels were beyond the reach of EPA regulators – until 2009.

By then hundreds of scientists from all over the world had been studying the effects of burning fossil fuels and had concluded that greenhouse gases were changing the atmosphere, making it warmer, thus altering seasons, rains, snow, thunderstorms, hurricanes, producing destructive heat waves in the oceans and land, killing corals and starving sea lions and arctic bears, causing chronic draught, mighty winds, bomb rains and floods. This evidence convinced President Obama and the EPA to issue the endangerment finding of 2009 that allowed the federal government to start thinking of regulating fossil fuels.

Petrochemical politics

In general, Democrat and Republican presidents follow the agribusiness playbook. But with fossil fuels, Republican presidents and Republican members of Congress share the ideology of the industry and refuse to regulate petroleum, natural gas and coal. Petroleum is a strategic asset for industrialized America, its vast fleets of cars, trucks, leaf blowers, luxury yachts, commercial ships, private and commercial airplanes, countless machines, including America’s armed forces and hundreds of American military bases all over the planet.

President Trump made clear that he cared less about climate change / chaos, which he called a “hoax.” Along with the EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, he discarded the 2009 endangerment finding and large number of regulations limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases coming out of the tailpipes of cars, trucks, the smokestacks of electricity power plants and other factories and machines.

“By scrapping the finding, the Trump administration is essentially disputing the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change. The vast majority of scientists say the Earth is rapidly and dangerously warming.”

Rapid and dangerous warming

On Nov. 14, 2023, the US Fifth National Climate Assessment said the same thing – that the planet is undergoing a rapid and dangerous warming. In addition, the US 2023 Climate Assessment was warning that the US was warming at 68 percent faster rate than other countries on Earth. The political and philosophical recommendation of the 2023 Climate Assessment was this:

“The Choices That Will Determine the Future

“With each additional increment of warming, the consequences of climate change increase. The faster and further the world cuts greenhouse gas emissions, the more future warming will be avoided, increasing the chances of limiting or avoiding harmful impacts to current and future generations.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contributed to the Fifth Climate Assessment. It praised its findings and conclusions. It cited the findings of the Nov. 14, 2023 Climate Assessment report: We learn that climate chaos threatens public and environmental health, including causing vast economic damages and massive planetary ecological harm:

“Climate change exacerbates long-standing social inequities…. Climate change is harming physical, mental, spiritual and community health and well-being. The impacts of extreme climate events are costing the nation an estimated $150 billion each year. With every increment of global warming, costly damages are expected to accelerate. For example, 2 degrees Fahrenheit of warming is projected to cause more than twice the economic harm induced by 1 degree F of warming. High annual temperatures and tropical cyclones are associated with lower growth in GDP.

“Climate action can result in near-term benefits that outweigh the costs, with the potential to improve well-being, strengthen resilience, benefit the economy and redress legacies of racism and injustice.

“Acre for acre, Blue Carbon Ecosystems, such as sea grasses, mangroves and saltmarshes, are estimated to store about twice as much carbon below ground than terrestrial vegetation. With conservation and restoration, these ecosystems could sequester enough carbon each year to offset about 3 percent of global emissions (based on 2019 and 2020 emissions).

“By 2050 and by 2100, sea level rise under the Intermediate Sea Level Scenario, is projected to be higher along the Atlantic (about 1.25 and 4 feet, respectively) versus Pacific coast (0.75 and 3 feet), and greatest along the western Gulf coast (2 and 5 feet).

“Hurricanes have been intensifying more rapidly since the 1980s and causing heavier rainfall and higher storm surges due to climate change.

“Climate change has impacted commercial marine fisheries in every region of the U.S. by altering the availability and quality of harvested species, destabilizing fisheries-related revenue and employment… Over the next century, climate change is expected to reduce fish and shellfish catch in all U.S. regions, including some of the highest-valued fisheries.”

Epilogue

True, climate is changing and harming our only home in the vast universe. The 2023 US government Climate Assessment speaks the language of science and offers sensible choices. But the rejection of science by the Trump administration complicates and disrupts democracy, making long-term survival more difficult. Trump received some $ 450 millions from the oil and gas industry for his 2024 campaign. In return the oil and gas industry is enjoying $ 35 billions tax breaks per year.

This financial relation did not cross the mind of the EPA administrator Zeldin who ridiculed the deleting of the endangerment finding. He called it “the single largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States.” He then “accused Democrats of having launched an ideological crusade on climate change that “strangled entire sectors of the United States economy,” particularly the auto industry.”

This reminds me of the crusaders who fought long and bitter wars over superstitious notions they borrowed fromf religions that had nothing to do with science or truth seeking and justice. The Democrats favored science-based decisions more than the Republicans, but they were never crusaders for environmental protection or climate change. Thus, it’s very unlikely that the petroleum-addicted rulers of America are ready for decisions based on science.

And while Democratic administrations have not been as environmentally ruthless as the Republican, the Democratic Party is in trouble. It is at a loss what to do while facing Trump. Trump offended the country with his portrayal of Obama and his wife as apes, a hubris that undermined his own Republican coalition. Americans are also troubled by the Democratic Party. There’s “a continued wariness toward a party that cannot yet be trusted to do what’s in the interest of the nation as a whole.”

I would recommend that as many scientists as possible join hands with environmental organizations, environmentalists and local, state and federal politicians who respect science. Form an organization for the defense of civilization and Mother Earth. Then become evangelists of this new climate gospel based on science. Educate Americans that their health and lives are at stake. Do this education well and the tables will turn to reason and safety. In fact most climate facts people need to learn or be aware are in the 2023 Climate Assessment.

If this exercise in politics and science and survival is taken seriously, we do have a chance to prevent the worst effects of global warming and, equally important, to reinvigorate our democracy for a society based on justice and affection and responsible care and protection for the natural world, our Mother Earth.

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