Climate change: US government wants to delete assessment of greenhouse gases

The US environmental authority under the government of President Donald Trump wants to abolish a central scientific assessment of the dangers of greenhouse gases. The necessary steps will be taken to formally withdraw the risk assessment (“endangerment finding”), said the head of the environmental authority EPA, Lee Zeldin, in the conservative podcast “Ruthless”. He praised the plans as “greatest deregulation measure in the history of the United States”.

The “endangerment finding” is a scientific determination of the environmental authority from the term of the term of the term of the term of the term of democratic predecessor Barack Obama, according to which greenhouse gases are at risk to public health and well -being. It forms the legal basis for many climate protection measures in the United States. Zeldin spoke of a “dagger shock into the heart of the climate change religion”.

As the US portal “Axios” reported, critics warn that the Trump government’s plans contradict the scientific consensus on climate change and endangered existing climate protection requirements. Observers therefore expect legal disputes.

Research: Greenhouse gases significantly favor climate change

Zeldin justified the plans in the podcast with economic arguments and criticism of the scientific basis at that time. He referred to technological progress and emphasized that climate protection must be compatible with economic growth.

According to the US media, the original determination of the EPA from 2009 was made on the basis of numerous scientific studies. According to research, greenhouse gases are considered the main driver of man -made climate change. Since the late 19th century, their emissions have led to a significant increase in global average temperature. According to the world climate IPCC, this has an effect in all world regions – for example due to more frequent and more violent extreme weather events such as flooding, heat waves or droughts.

In order to counteract this, the emission of climate -damaging greenhouse gases would have to decrease quickly and clearly. In addition, large quantities of already emitted gases would have to be removed from the atmosphere.