With ongoing attacks on environmental agencies, regulations, programs, and funding under the Trump administration, it’s more crucial than ever that we speak out. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing ways you can take action alongside our network to help resist these rollbacks.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is accepting public comments on a dangerous proposal to eliminate all limits on climate pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. You can take action with us before August 7th by submitting comments against this harmful action.
In their proposal, Trump’s USEPA argues that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel power plants “do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution.” They make this assertion despite decades of scientific evidence and legal precedent to the contrary. Across the US, communities are already facing the devastating impacts of climate change, record-breaking heat, flooding, wildfires, and more. Weakening power plant pollution rules threatens our climate progress and the opportunity to advance a cleaner, more just energy system.
We’ve drafted a sample comment that you can submit to oppose the current proposal around GHG emissions from power plants. Take action below and let the USEPA know that Illinoisans won’t stand by while our climate protections are gutted.
This proposal is just one of the administration’s many attacks on the nation’s ability to tackle climate change. In July, Trump signed the Big Bad Budget Bill that will slash funding for climate and clean energy related programs. What’s more, budgets for staff and research are being gutted across agencies like the Department of Energy, the USEPA, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Just last week (on July 29) the USEPA announced plans to formally rescind the “2009 endangerment finding”, which is the legal and scientific basis for the government’s ability to regulate GHG emissions from all sectors. The announcement was met with immediate pushback, including a rally in Chicago. There will continue to be fierce public and legal opposition to this proposal and we’ll share ways to engage soon.
Together we can speak up and take meaningful actions to help protect our environment.
