By Pam McVety, Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida
On Feb. 12, President Donald Trump and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced that they are rescinding the 2009 EPA endangerment finding, which is the legal basis under the Clean Air Act for regulating carbon emissions to protect the public health and welfare.
Each of us will feel the consequences of this, because even though we are talking about a federal action, the impacts are always local and always personal.
At the news conference they reported on deregulating emissions from automobiles, but the fact is that if the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is rescinded, then we are talking about all sources that produce greenhouse gas emissions – power plants, cement plants, other modes of transportation and other industries not being regulated.
This would result in higher concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions, which are what are warming the planet, changing the climate and disrupting our lives.
They bragged about making cars cheaper by eliminating requirements for tailpipe emissions and that they are saving Americans money and making things better for American families by getting rid of regulations.
They claimed a savings of $1.3 trillion by 2055, but Kathy Harris with the Natural Resources Defense Council said their own chart indicates we will incur $1.4 trillion in additional costs related to operating a vehicle, plus an additional $40 billion in costs from reduced energy security. So, by their own analysis, driving gasoline-fueled cars will be even more expensive for us.
And none of this includes the costs that you and I incur living with climate change. We will have to deal with more extreme weather, more sea-level rise, more health problems and higher costs for pretty much everything – insurance, health care, electric bills, storm damage and more.
A 2024 report commissioned by Consumer Reports found that if we do not act swiftly to limit climate change, it will cost a typical child born in 2024 between around $500,000 to a $1 million over the course of their lifetime.
There also is the issue of how this regulation affects our health. What comes out of the tailpipe of our cars and other sources from burning fossil fuels are particulate matter, is called PM 2.5, referring to their diameter size of 2.5 micrometers.
They are dangerous because they can penetrate deep into our lungs and even enter our bloodstream, leading to serious health problems such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Exposure to PM 2.5 is especially harmful for children, the elderly and people with preexisting health conditions. Think asthma, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.
Then there is the extreme heat we experience way too often. Last summer, Tallahassee experienced record-breaking heat in May and a dangerous heat wave in July. Florida sets records for the highest number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to heat in the nation, and with higher carbon emissions there will be more extreme heat. Think of our children trying to play outdoors in this heat.
This administration is being sued, and hopefully that will keep this from going into effect, but our government that should be implementing renewable energy, and ensuring a safe future for our children will now be defending this irresponsible and dangerous action with our money.
By rescinding a science- and-legal based endangerment finding that has been upheld by multiple courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, that our public health is endangered by the burning of fossil fuels, the president is endangering our health and welfare.
Pam McVety of Tallahassee is a retired scientist, climate justice advocate and board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida. This opinion piece was originally published by the Tallahassee Democrat, which is a media partner of The Invading Sea. Banner photo: Traffic backs up in Florida (iStock image).
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