The endangerment finding is the linchpin of much of the EPA’s climate-related regulatory authority. Issued during the Obama administration, this finding declared greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide as pollutants that endanger public health and welfare. By initiating this review, President Trump has taken the first step toward unraveling the faulty rationale that has fueled countless overzealous climate policies.
The earth's history of temperature has a really strong correlation with GHGs. The only out for the Trump administration to change this is to be irrational. We (humans) have changed the earth's temperature with our emissions of GHGsinto the atmosphere.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.epa.gov/climate-change/endangerment-and-cause-or-contribute-findings-greenhouse-gases-under-section-202a
Action
On December 7, 2009, the Administrator signed two distinct findings regarding greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act:
Endangerment Finding: The Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.
Cause or Contribute Finding: The Administrator finds that the combined emissions of these well-mixed greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens public health and welfare.
These findings do not themselves impose any requirements on industry or other entities. However, this action was a prerequisite for implementing greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and other sectors.
The challenge that can easily be made is to show that the effect of these gases is not sufficient to threaten public health. There is now plenty of good evidence to show that the warming effect is smaller than forecast.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPCC_Sixth_Assessment_Report
ReplyDeleteSSP2-4.5
intermediate GHG emissions:
CO2 emissions around current levels until 2050, then falling but not reaching net zero by 2100
Estimated warming
(2041–2060) 2.0 °C
Estimated warming
(2081–2100) 2.7 °C
Very likely range in °C
(2081–2100) 2.1 – 3.5
The interesting part of this is temperature increase over land is higher than that over water. 2.0*C increase from 1850 average is no small matter. 3.5*C is a disasterous increase for humanity. That is just the medium projection. I believe we can do this successfully on earth. If not, projections go even higher for average earth temperature.