EPA Gets Back to Real Science: A Win for Facts Over Fear

The Biden administration's climate regulations just got a major reality check – and it's great news for American families and businesses.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a bold move that puts science back at the center of climate policy. Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency is rescinding the 2009 "Endangerment Finding" – the legal foundation that allowed the government to justify dozens of greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act.

This isn't just bureaucratic housekeeping. It's a key part of the process to reverse regulations that mandated electric vehicles, forced reliable power plants to shut down, and gave the EPA power over vast swaths of the American economy. Altogether, the EPA estimates these rules were going to cost over $1 trillion.

What Changed and Why It Matters

For 15 years, the EPA has treated carbon dioxide – the gas we exhale with every breath – as if it were toxic pollution like smog or soot. This legal fiction enabled regulations that would have forced 70% of new cars to be electric by 2032, restructured our entire electricity system, and imposed costly new rules on oil and gas production.

But here's the problem: even if the U.S. eliminated all of its greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, global temperatures would drop by only 0.05 degrees Celsius by 2050. That's less than the margin of error in our global temperature measurements!

The EPA's decision recognizes what many scientists have long argued: CO₂ is fundamentally different from actual air pollutants. It doesn't cause smog, doesn't make people sick at normal levels, and is actually essential for plant life.

A New Department of Energy Report Reveals the Truth About Climate Science

Accompanying the EPA announcement, the Department of Energy just released a comprehensive scientific review that reveals how much climate science has been distorted by politics and fear-mongering.

The 140-page report, written by five distinguished climate scientists, presents eye-opening findings that challenge the climate crisis narrative:

Climate models have been wrong. For decades, computer models predicted much more warming than we've actually seen. The report shows these models consistently run "hot," predicting warming rates 50-100% higher than observations.

Extreme weather isn't getting worse. Contrary to media reports, most types of severe weather show no long-term increase:

• Hurricane activity along U.S. coasts shows no upward trend since 1900

• Tornado activity has actually decreased since 1950

• Drought conditions have slightly improved over the past century

• Wildfire activity remains well below historical levels

CO₂ is helping the planet. Rising carbon dioxide levels have contributed to "global greening" – satellite data shows vegetation has increased across 25-50% of Earth's land surface. This has boosted crop yields and helped feed a growing world population.

Americans are safer than ever. Deaths from weather-related disasters have plummeted by 97% over the past century, even as population has grown dramatically. Better forecasting, infrastructure, and emergency response systems have made extreme weather far less dangerous.

The Economic Reality Check

Perhaps most importantly, the new research shows that climate change's economic impact will be much smaller than activists claim. Even under significant warming scenarios, the effects on economic growth would be minimal – a few percentage points spread over many decades.

Meanwhile, the regulations built on the old endangerment finding would cost families real money right now. Electric vehicle mandates alone could add tens of thousands to car prices, while electricity grid restrictions could drive up energy bills for everyone.

Why This Matters for the Future

The EPA's decision restores scientific integrity to government policy. For too long, climate science has been dominated by worst-case scenarios and computer models that don't match reality. This new approach promises to:

• Base regulations on observed data, not speculative models

• Consider both costs and benefits of climate policies

• Recognize that CO₂ has positive effects as well as potential risks

• Focus on real environmental problems that directly affect human health

This doesn't mean ignoring climate science or environmental protection. Instead, it means treating these issues with the nuance and objectivity they deserve. Climate changes – it always has and always will. Humans do influence climate through emissions, but the effects are far more modest and manageable than activists claim.

The new scientific review shows that with proper adaptation measures, Americans can handle climate changes while maintaining economic growth and rising living standards. Technologies like air conditioning, better building codes, and improved emergency systems have already made us far more resilient to weather extremes.

The Bottom Line

After years of climate policies based on fear and flawed models, we're finally getting a return to evidence-based thinking. The EPA's decision, backed by rigorous new scientific analysis, offers a path forward that protects both the environment and American prosperity.

This is what good science looks like: honest, comprehensive, and willing to challenge popular assumptions when the data doesn't support them. American families and businesses – and the planet – will be better off for it.