ACTION NEEDED: The US is trying to remove greenhouse gas restrictions
The modern Clean Air Act came about in 1970 following calls to target pollution in the United States.
As climate change worsened, people demanded further protection and, in 2007, the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA asserted that greenhouse gases are air pollutants covered by the Clean Air Act.
Stemming from this, the Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Action (EPA) established the Endangerment Finding in 2009 which has been used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S., including in vehicles.
The Trump Administration’s EPA is proposing to remove the Endangerment Finding and “repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.” This will increase emissions and speed up climate change.