Obama Warns U.S. is “Less Safe” Following Trump’s Repeal of Key Climate Finding
Former President Barack Obama issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration’s decision to repeal the 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “endangerment finding,” a critical legal determination that served as the foundation for federal climate change regulations. In a statement released shortly after the announcement, Obama warned that the move would leave the United States “less safe, less healthy, and less able to fight climate change.”
The repeal marks a significant shift in U.S. environmental policy. The original 2009 finding, established during Obama’s first term, scientifically determined that six greenhouse gases—including carbon dioxide and methane—threatened public health and welfare. This classification provided the EPA with the legal authority under the Clean Air Act to mandate emissions standards for motor vehicles and stationary sources like power plants.
President Donald Trump, appearing alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin at a White House press conference, framed the repeal as a necessary economic correction. Trump characterized the original finding as a “disastrous Obama-era policy” that he claimed had severely damaged the American automobile industry and inflated costs for consumers. “Under the process just completed by the EPA, we are officially terminating the so-called endangerment finding,” Trump stated, referring to the move as the “single largest deregulatory action in American history.”
In his response, Obama argued that the decision prioritizes corporate profits over public safety. “Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules,” Obama wrote. “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.”
The administration’s action effectively strips the federal government of its primary tool for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Without the endangerment finding, the EPA lacks the statutory authority to enforce strict fuel economy standards or limit carbon output from industrial facilities. Administrator Zeldin defended the rollback as a return to the “letter of the law,” asserting that the agency is correcting previous regulatory overreach.
Legal and environmental experts anticipate immediate court challenges. Critics argue that the scientific consensus supporting the dangers of greenhouse gases has only strengthened since 2009, potentially making the repeal vulnerable to lawsuits alleging it ignores established science. Conversely, supporters of the repeal maintain that climate regulations should be the purview of Congress rather than administrative agencies.
The rollback aligns with President Trump’s broader energy agenda, which has included withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement and promoting increased fossil fuel production. The decision is expected to have immediate ramifications for the auto industry, where manufacturers have spent over a decade adapting to the stricter emissions targets that are now being dismantled.
* ms.now
* 1news.co.nz
* saudigazette.com.sa
* thegrio.com
* hindustantimes.com
* businessgreen.com
* cbsnews.com
* news.cn
* wabe.org
