US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins all federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases.
The so-called 2009 endangerment finding concluded that a range of greenhouse gases were a threat to public health. It's become the legal bedrock of federal efforts to rein in emissions, especially in vehicles.
The White House called the reversal the largest deregulation in American history, saying it would make cars cheaper, bringing down costs for automakers by $2,400 per vehicle.
Environmental groups say the move is by far the most significant rollback on climate change yet attempted and are set to challenge it in the courts.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump labeled the 2009 ruling as a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers.
Former President Barack Obama expressed that repealing the finding would make Americans more vulnerable, asserting that it compromises safety and the ability to combat climate change. He stated that the action serves the fossil fuel industry at the expense of public health.
Many experts warn that reversing this ruling could have dire consequences, including thousands of additional premature deaths and significantly more asthma attacks due to increased pollution from less stringent regulations.
The rollback has raised skepticism among economists and environmental advocates about its long-term cost-saving claims, questioning whether it could lead to a higher economic burden for consumers in the form of increased fuel costs.
Legal observers anticipate a multitude of challenges as states and non-profit organizations prepare to combat this decision in the courts. The fallout from this policy shift will reverberate through the auto industry and environmental landscape for years to come.
