EPA Plans Big Rollback of Climate Rules

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to undo a key climate rule that says greenhouse gases harm the planet and people. The move will happen on Thursday, after President Trump and EPA head Lee Zeldin sign off. They say it will be the biggest reduction of regulations in U. S. history and will save Americans $1. 3 trillion. The rule that is being pulled back was made in 2009 during President Obama’s time. It said gases like carbon dioxide and methane warm the Earth and that this warming threatens health and well‑being. Because of that, it allowed the EPA to set limits on car emissions and require power plants to report their pollution. If the repeal survives court challenges, many U. S. climate policies could disappear. Environmental groups have already started to prepare lawsuits against the decision. The final text of the repeal has not been released, but a draft from August shows that vehicle emission standards might be removed. The EPA says the change will lower costs for cars, SUVs and trucks. Other rules could also fall. In June, the EPA chief proposed dropping CO₂ limits for power plants and promised to review other policies that rely on the 2009 finding. These include rules about methane, a strong greenhouse gas.Environmental defenders say this is the biggest attack on federal climate action ever. They point to floods, wildfires and record heat as evidence that climate change is real. A conservative think tank argues the 2009 rule was based on flawed science and political bias. The EPA says the original finding overstated heat‑wave risks, predicted more warming than has happened and ignored benefits of higher CO₂ for plant growth. They also cite court cases that already limited the agency’s power to move away from coal. The draft cites a controversial report by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. A judge found that the Department of Energy violated transparency rules in creating that report. Science groups have criticized the draft’s arguments. The American Geophysical Union says the report uses inaccurate, cherry‑picked data. They emphasize that greenhouse gases are higher now than at any time in 800, 000 years and that climate change drives extreme weather. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine confirmed the 2009 finding was correct. A group of 85 climate scientists also rebutted the Energy Department’s report, saying it misrepresents facts. Last year was the third‑warmest on record, and the past 11 years are the warmest in history. The EPA’s rollback will trigger a major legal fight.