The Steady Drip: EPA Expected to Say Greenhouse Gases Aren't Harmful (Connecting the Dots: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Natural Resources Defense Council, Cornell University, Global Green USA, Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev, Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project, Hollywood, Barbra Streisand Foundation & Soros Funding, All Networking)

EPA Expected to Say Greenhouse Gases Aren't Harmful (Connecting the Dots: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Natural Resources Defense Council, Cornell University, Global Green USA, Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev, Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project, Hollywood, Barbra Streisand Foundation & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

Friday, 25 July 2025 04:56 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/scitech/donald-trump-epa-lee-zeldin/2025/07/25/id/1220150/

President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to upend a foundational scientific determination about the harms of greenhouse gases that underpins the U.S. government's ability to curb climate change.

A proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency to change the so-called "Endangerment Finding" was sent to the White House on June 30, a spokesperson told AFP.

An announcement is expected imminently. Here's what to know and what's at stake if the finding is overturned.

What Is the Endangerment Finding?

The Clean Air Act of 1970 empowered the EPA to regulate "air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare."

For decades, the law applied to pollutants like lead, ozone, and soot.

But as climate science around the dangers of heat-trapping greenhouse gases advanced in the 2000s, a coalition of states and nonprofit groups petitioned the EPA to include them under the law, focusing on motor vehicles.

The issue reached the Supreme Court, which in 2007 ruled that greenhouse gases qualify as air pollutants and directed the EPA to revisit its stance.

That led to the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health and welfare, based on overwhelming scientific consensus and peer-reviewed research.

"That 2009 finding formed the basis for all of EPA's subsequent regulations," Meredith Hankins, a senior attorney on climate and energy for the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, told AFP.

"They've issued greenhouse gas standards for tailpipe emissions from motor vehicles, smokestack emissions from power plants — all of these individual rulemakings trace themselves back to the 2009 Endangerment Finding."

What Is the Trump Administration Doing?

The Endangerment Finding has withstood multiple legal challenges, and although Trump's first administration considered reversing it, they ultimately held back.

But the finding is now a direct target of Project 2025, a governance blueprint closely followed by the administration.

In March, the EPA under Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a formal reconsideration of the finding.

"The Trump administration will not sacrifice national prosperity, energy security, and the freedom of our people for an agenda that throttles our industries, our mobility, and our consumer choice while benefiting adversaries overseas," he said.

The government is expected to undo the earlier finding that greenhouse gases endanger public welfare.

It will argue that the economic costs of regulation have been undervalued, and it will downplay the role of U.S. motor vehicle emissions in climate change.

In fact, transportation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

"If vehicle emissions don't pass muster as a contribution to climate change, it's hard to imagine what would," Dena Adler of the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University told AFP.

"It's fatalistic to avoid taking the many actions that could cumulatively fix climate change, because none of them can individually solve the entire problem."

Since 1970, the United States has emitted more vehicle-based greenhouse gases than the next nine countries combined, according to an analysis by the Institute for Policy Integrity that will soon be published in full.

Could It Succeed?

In March, the EPA said it would lean on recent court rulings, including a landmark 2024 decision that narrowed federal regulatory power.

Still, legal experts say the administration faces an uphill battle.

"It will take a few years for the rule to be finalized and wind its way up to the Supreme Court for review," said Adler.

"If EPA loses before the Supreme Court, it gets sent back, and EPA then gets it back to the drawing board" — by which time Trump's term may be nearing its end.

To succeed, the high court may need to overturn its own 2007 decision that led to the Endangerment Finding.

None of the justices who wrote the majority opinion remain on the bench, while three dissenters — John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito — still serve and could spearhead a drive to upend the original ruling.

Even then, market forces may blunt the impact of any rollback.

"Utilities making long-term investments and companies purchasing capital goods expected to be used for decades won't base those decisions on short-term policy changes," said John Tobin-de la Puente, a professor at Cornell University's business school.

That's especially true when those swings run counter to business trends and could be undone by a future administration, he added.

Connecting the Dots:

Lee M. Thomas was an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Orin S. Kramer was an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Carol M. Browner was a director at the Climate Reality Project, the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration, an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a senior fellow, director at the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project, the Center for American Progress and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a supporter for the Center for American Progress and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and was a board member for the Global Green USA.

J. Robert Kerrey was a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and is a council of advisor’s member for Global Green USA.

Robert Redford is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Mikhail Gorbachev was the founder of Green Cross International, the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, the founder of the Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and the founder of CNN.

Patricia E. Mitchell was an executive in charge of original productions for the Turner Broadcasting System Inc., the president of CNN Productions, a director at the Human Rights Watch, is the vice chair for the Sundance Institute and a board member for the Global Green USA.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sundance Institute.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Human Rights Watch and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Robert Redford is the founder & president for the Sundance Institute, a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Lyn Davis Lear is a trustee at the Sundance Institute and married to Norman Lear.

Norman Lear is married to Lyn Davis Lear and a director at People for the American Way.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the People for the American Way.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Alec Baldwin is a director at People for the American Way.

Margery Tabankin is a director at the People for the American Way and the treasurer for the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Committee for Economic Development.

Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic Development and the Attorney General of New York.

Christopher H. Shays was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a council of advisor’s member for Global Green USA.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Lee H. Hamilton is a board member for Global Green USA and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Cecile Richards was the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the founder & president for America Votes.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a national partner with America Votes.

People for the American Way is a national partner with America Votes.

Margery Tabankin is a director at the People for the American Way and the treasurer for the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

Alec Baldwin is a director at People for the American Way.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the People for the American Way.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Norman Lear is a director at People for the American Way and married to Lyn Davis Lear.

Lyn Davis Lear is married to Norman Lear and a trustee at the Sundance Institute.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Sundance Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Robert Redford is the founder & president for the Sundance Institute, a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and was a board member for the Global Green USA.

J. Robert Kerrey was a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and is a council of advisor’s member for Global Green USA.

Robert Redford is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, the founder of the Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and the founder of CNN.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Sundance Institute and the Climate Reality Project.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is the chairman for the Climate Reality Project, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and was a donor for The Climate Project.

Creative Artists Agency Inc. was a donor for The Climate Project.

Will Ferrell is a Creative Artists Agency Inc. client, an actor in Elf and played Buddy the Elf.

The Climate Project is a merged organization with the Climate Reality Project.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers was a donor for The Climate Project.

Lee M. Thomas was a director at the Climate Reality Project and an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Orin S. Kramer was an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project, the Center for American Progress and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and was a board member for the Global Green USA.

J. Robert Kerrey was a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and is a council of advisor’s member for Global Green USA.

Robert Redford is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, the founder of the Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and the founder of CNN.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International the founder of the Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and the founder of CNN.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Sundance Institute and the Climate Reality Project.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is the chairman for the Climate Reality Project, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and was a donor for The Climate Project.

Creative Artists Agency Inc. was a donor for The Climate Project.

Will Ferrell is a Creative Artists Agency Inc. client, an actor in Elf and played Buddy the Elf.

The Climate Project is a merged organization with the Climate Reality Project.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers was a donor for The Climate Project.

Lee M. Thomas was a director at the Climate Reality Project and an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Orin S. Kramer was an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Colin L. Powell is a strategic adviser for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee, the Economic Policy Institute and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Rhonda Weingarten is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a director at the Economic Policy Institute, a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, and was the president of the United Federation of Teachers.

American Federation of Teachers is a national partner with America Votes.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a national partner with America Votes.

Cecile Richards was the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the founder & president for America Votes.