US Politics: What You Can Do About the Repeal of the "Endangerment Finding"
- Greenguide
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
On February 12, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced that he was revoking the “endangerment finding,” which is the scientific conclusion, based on over 200 pages of research and evidence, that greenhouse gases pose a risk to human health and welfare. Since 2009, it has been used as the basis for regulations that limit greenhouse gas emissions. Its repeal immediately removes all emissions regulations for cars and trucks while opening the door for further deregulations on stationary sources of emissions, like power plants. This action was approved by the EPA; the agency’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, said that the endangerment finding “strangled” large parts of the US economy.
This comes at a time when we are perilously close to reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius of average temperature increase from pre-industrial temperatures, which has been identified as a target to prevent the worst effects of climate change. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that now that the endangerment finding has been repealed, the US’s greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase by 10% over the next three decades. Mr. Trump has perhaps proven to be a poor leader most strongly in relation to the climate crisis, calling climate change a “hoax” and removing the United States from the Paris Agreement, which pledged to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. These actions steer the US, and the planet as a whole, away from a safe future.
What you can do
Support state climate legislation. Several states have introduced climate legislation of their own. For instance, Colorado is now putting a US$2000 discount on electric vehicles, while the California State Assembly is trying to pass a measure that would require fossil fuel companies to help cover home insurance costs, which have skyrocketed because of the state’s increasing climate-related wildfires. If a similar policy is going to be voted on by your state assembly, you can write to your representatives and urge them to approve it.
Donate to organizations suing the EPA. In addition, a coalition of health and environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the EPA stating that the recission of the endangerment finding is unlawful. Many of these same groups are suing the Trump Administration as well. Donations to these organizations would support these lawsuits, which many have claimed will win in court.
Protest the Trump Administration's actions. Lastly, you can participate in a mass protest against the Trump Administration, like one of the ones organized by the group 50501. Usually, these protests have a wide array of objectives, which are mostly centered around ending the administration’s actions that border on authoritarianism—such as rescinding a well-researched finding clearly based on scientific fact.
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