In early February, the Trump administration formally rejected the scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and wellbeing. Known as the endangerment finding, the 2009 ruling empowered the Environmental Protection Agency to impose regulations that limit carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollution from oil and gas wells, tailpipes, smokestacks and other sources that burn fossil fuels. Because President Trump considers climate change to be a hoax, the federal government has discarded its legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
Scientific fact has now been replaced by political platforms. Across the country, Democratic-led states are accelerating initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while Republican-led states are mostly silent.
In Colorado, legislators are planning to offer drivers a $2,000 discount on new electric vehicles. In Virginia, where data centers are causing a record surge in electricity demand, lawmakers are working to make it easier for counties to approve solar farms.
California has some of the most aggressive climate goals including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The Trump administration blocked the enforcement of the ban via congressional resolution. There are pending lawsuits addressing the issue.
Basically, states need to make up for the loss of the federal government’s support in driving down climate pollution, at least for the remainder of the current administration. From 2005 to 2023, states and territories reduced their net greenhouse gas emissions by 24%.
