US Authorities Declare Greenhouse Gases Safe for Humans
Credit: Pixabay
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump announced the decision of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to repeal the Obama-era ruling recognizing greenhouse gases as a direct threat to public health. This eliminated the legal basis for regulating carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. The primary goal of the repeal was to lift any bans on internal combustion engine vehicles, but renewable energy will also suffer.
Trump called this move “the greatest deregulatory measure” in US history. He called the climate protection laws passed under former US President Barack Obama “catastrophic,” saying they “seriously damaged the American auto industry and significantly raised prices for Americans.”
Under the repealed law, the US had introduced strict environmental standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, as well as regulations limiting exhaust emissions.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that repealing the standards would save American taxpayers $1.3 trillion. Zeldin did not explain how he calculated these figures.
The Justice Department is expected to face lawsuits from environmental groups and state attorneys general. The solar energy market in the US is currently going through a difficult period as the administration shifts its focus to fossil fuel industries.
