EPA's Retreat on Climate Actions Puts our Website's Future at Risk
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to revoke the Endangerment Finding, a science-based determination that greenhouse gases (GHGs) endanger public health and welfare. This decision, if approved, could have significant implications for the health of our communities and the outdoor experiences we cherish.
The Endangerment Finding, finalized in 2009, is crucial because it triggers EPA’s legal authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate GHG emissions from sources like vehicles and power plants to protect health and the environment. The Finding establishes that GHG pollution endangers public health by contributing to climate change effects, such as extreme weather, which have significant health and economic impacts.
The EPA's proposal would strip the agency of its legal and scientific foundation for regulating GHG emissions. This change would undermine efforts to address climate change and protect public health, potentially rolling back all vehicle greenhouse gas standards, the latest of which would have cut emissions by 44-60% by 2032.
The consequences of this decision are far-reaching. Declining snowpack and earlier snowmelt are shortening winter seasons, while more intense wildfires are burning larger areas and releasing harmful smoke. Extreme weather events, such as storms and floods, are washing out trails and roads, and extreme heat waves, intense rainfall, wildfire smoke, and poor air quality are forcing hikers, campers, and outdoor workers to reduce activities or stay inside.
Invasive insects and diseases are damaging forests and ecosystems, exacerbating the impacts of climate change. These changes threaten the places we love and the communities who rely on them, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). Decision-makers have a responsibility to act to protect these outdoor experiences, AMC adds.
AMC, alongside its network of partners and coalitions, is working to oppose harmful policies that jeopardize the health of the outdoors. Mandy Warner, Senior Director of Policy at AMC, has emphasized the importance of raising voices about the urgency of addressing climate change. To stay updated on how to make a difference advocating for conservation and recreation, one can subscribe to AMC's Conservation Action Network.
In conclusion, the Endangerment Finding is pivotal because it legally recognizes that GHG emissions threaten health and welfare, thereby empowering EPA to regulate these emissions, which is essential for combating climate change and safeguarding public health. The EPA's proposal to revoke this Finding could unravel decades of environmental progress and put clean air, public health, and outdoor places at risk. It is crucial for decision-makers to consider the far-reaching impacts of this decision and act to protect the places and outdoor experiences we cherish.
- The Endangerment Finding, a science-based decision finalized in 2009, is crucial in triggering the EPA's legal authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from sources like vehicles and power plants to protect health and the environment.
- The policy-and-legislation related to climate-change, such as the Endangerment Finding, is essential for combating climate change and safeguarding public health, as it legally recognizes that greenhouse gas emissions threaten health and welfare.
- The environmental-science community, including organizations like the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), is working to oppose harmful policies that jeopardize the health of the outdoors and the general-news of their efforts highlights the potential impacts on the places we cherish and the outdoor experiences we value.
