Dear John,
By repealing the Endangerment Finding this month, the EPA didn’t just roll back climate protections – it undermined the democratic foundations that make accountable governance possible. EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding declared that greenhouse gases endanger public health and are leading causes of climate change. It emerged from years of science-based work and was supported by more than 380,000 public comments. The decision to repeal it happened in just months.
As I recently wrote in this guest commentary, this is an affront to the county commissioners, city council members, tribal leaders, and other officials who spent years documenting pollution impacts in their communities, testifying at hearings, and working across party lines. It’s not just clean air and water at stake, but communities’ very ability to shape their own futures.
Federal safeguards, especially against pollution from major sources outside a local government’s direct jurisdiction, are the bedrock of equitable climate action. They’re essential to protecting our communities and environment for everyone. The most durable path forward for our future is if the courts restore the finding, Congress acts, or a future administration restarts the process, which could take years.
In the meantime, there’s still much you can do. You can:
Coordinate within your communities to uphold and strengthen your local climate commitments and policies.
File amicus briefs in the ongoing lawsuits against the rollback.
Take advantage of the support and resources we offer, like the energy transmission webinar we’re hosting this week.
This is democratic participation in action.
The democratic processes that protect our air, water, and land also protect our right to fair elections, accountable government, and a voice in what comes next. Together, we know what democracy has already delivered, and what it can still make possible.
Liane Jollon
Executive Director
