"So the basis for federal climate policy in this country has been something called the endangerment finding. Can you tell us what this is? Thompson: Yeah, so basically you start with the Clean Air Act, so this is the legislation passed in the '70s that gives the EPA the authority to regulate air pollutants that affect human health. And so the endangerment finding is sort of the legal and scientific argument that, yes, greenhouse gases do affect human health."
"So greenhouse gases arethe main one is carbon dioxide. Another really important one is methane. These gases are released by combustion engines and cars and trucks, industrial uses. So as they're burned that gets added into the atmosphere and, effectively, those gases preferentially trap infrared radiation, or heat, that's coming away from the Earth, so the temperature of the atmosphere and the"
The Trump administration moved to rescind the endangerment finding that has formed the legal basis for U.S. federal climate policy since 2009. The Clean Air Act grants the EPA authority to regulate air pollutants affecting human health; the endangerment finding establishes that greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, harm human health. Greenhouse gases released by combustion, industry, and vehicles accumulate in the atmosphere and trap outgoing infrared radiation, raising atmospheric and surface temperatures. Rescinding the finding would remove the legal and scientific rationale for many federal regulations aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions, potentially affecting vehicle and industrial standards.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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