US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases, according to a report by the BBC.
The 2009 "endangerment finding" concluded that a range of greenhouse gases were a threat to public health, becoming 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 Response
Environmental groups say the move is the most significant rollback on climate change yet attempted and are set to challenge it in the courts.
Former President Barack Obama said that repealing the finding would make Americans more vulnerable, stating that without it, the US would be less safe, less healthy, and less able to fight climate change.
Regulatory Impact
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first took a stance on the impacts of greenhouse gases in 2009, deciding that six key planet-warming greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, were a danger to human health.
Trump administration officials are stressing that overturning the regulation will save more than $1tn and will help cut the price of energy and transport.
Health and Economic Concerns
Many environmentalists are skeptical of the potential cost savings being touted by the Trump team, with Peter Zalzal from the Environmental Defense Fund stating that the action would result in up to 58,000 additional premature deaths and 37 million more asthma attacks.
For some in the US car industry, there will be uncertainty about the rollback as manufacturing less fuel-efficient vehicles might limit their sales overseas.
Legal Challenges
Many legal experts believe that the Trump administration wants the proposal to be tested in the Supreme Court before Trump's term ends, believing that if they win, the endangerment finding will be consigned to history.
