Latest news with #EnvironmentalProtection
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
How to Rein In Bureaucrats
Regarding 'Climate Regulation Liberation Day,' kudos to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright for their efforts to reverse costly regulations that had been imposed by unelected bureaucrats (Review & Outlook, July 30). Congressional Republicans could codify these efforts by finally passing the Reins (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny) Act into law.
Fox News
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
EPA chief Zeldin delivers dagger to the heart of Obama's climate change agenda on ‘Ruthless' podcast
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin will rescind the Obama administration's endangerment finding declaration in the "largest deregulatory action in the history of America," he announced Tuesday on the "Ruthless" podcast. Zeldin joined the "Ruthless" podcast to break the news that the EPA would nix the declaration that insisted greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide and methane endanger human lives. Zeldin will officially make the announcement that will drive "a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion" later in the day in Indiana. "A lot of people are out there listening, they might not know what the endangerment finding is. If you ask congressional Democrats to describe what it is, the left would say that it means that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, carbon dioxide is an endangerment to human health. They might say methane is a pollutant, methane is an endangerment to human health," Zeldin said. "That's an oversimplified, I would say inaccurate way to describe it," Zeldin continued. "The Obama administration said that carbon dioxide, when mixed with a bunch of other well-mixed gasses, greenhouse gasses, that it contributes to climate change. How much? They don't say… they say that climate change engenders human health, so because of these different mental leaps… then there were all sorts of vehicle regulations that followed." "Ruthless" co-host Josh Holmes noted that endangerment finding is "the hub to the spoke of the left's environmental agenda, essentially," to which Zeldin agreed. "This has been referred to as basically driving a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion," Zeldin said. "Most Americans, we care about the environment, we want clean air, land and water. Conservatives love the environment, want to be good stewards of the environment. There are people who then, in the name of climate change, are willing to bankrupt the country," he continued. "In the name of environmental justice, they will get tens of billions of dollars appropriated to their friends rather than actually remediating environmental issues." Zeldin said Democrats created the endangerment finding, which allowed them to put regulations on vehicles, airplanes, stationary sources, and other things to "basically regulate out of existence" many segments of the American economy. "It costs Americans a lot of money," Zeldin said, noting that repealing the endangerment finding will be the "largest deregulatory action in the history of America." "So, it's kind of a big deal," Zeldin said. "Ruthless" co-host Comfortably Smug said the Obama-era regulation was "the first step into opening up the pandora's box of insanity" related to climate change. "I hope everyone appreciates, this is a true game-changer," Comfortably Smug said. "It's projected to save Americans over $1 trillion," he continued. "This is a huge victory for the American people." Zeldin said the move will create jobs and help Americans be able to purchase a car. "It's one agency, in one year, doing more deregulation than entire federal government across all agencies across entire presidencies when you look back in history. That's how much of a mess it is that we inherited," Zeldin said. "With regard to the endangerment finding, they'll say carbon dioxide is a pollutant and that's the end of it. They'll never acknowledge any type of benefit or need for carbon dioxide," he continued. "It's important to note, and they don't, how important it is for the planet." Zeldin said he's not afraid of allowing the public to weigh in on the issue and the EPA will consider all advancements in technology. "We shouldn't shy away from all of the innovation in the way that we tap into an energy supply here in the United States," he said. "We aren't going to ignore the fact that emissions are down in this country over the course of the last 20 years." Zeldin and the "Ruthless" co-hosts went on to detail a variety of issues with the Obama-era declaration and alleged "wrongdoing" tied to it. "The left went so far overboard," Zeldin said. "Ruthless," hosted by Holmes, Smug, Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook, is among the top news sources for men ages 18-45, according to a recent poll conducted by National Research, Inc. Since its launch in 2020, "Ruthless" has become a must-stop for GOP lawmakers, congressional candidates, and presidential hopefuls. Fox News landed a licensing deal earlier this month with the conservative "variety progrum" as part of the company's expansion of new media. New episodes of "Ruthless" are released every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on all podcast platforms and YouTube.
Fox News
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Zeldin announced on 'Ruthless' plan to rescind Obama-era climate endangerment finding
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin will rescind the Obama administration's endangerment finding declaration in the 'largest deregulatory action in the history of America,' he announced Tuesday on the 'Ruthless' podcast.
CTV News
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Increasing awareness about monarch butterflies
Winnipeg Watch The annual Monarch Butterfly Festival took place over the weekend as the butterfly species faces survival threats.
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's EPA eliminates research and development office and begins layoffs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees. One union leader said the moves 'will devastate public health in our country'. The agency's office of research and development (ORD) has long provided the scientific underpinnings for the EPA's mission to protect the environment and human health. The EPA said in May it would shift its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices that focus on major issues such as air and water. The agency said on Friday it is creating a new office of applied science and environmental solutions that will allow it to focus on research and science 'more than ever before'. Once fully implemented, the changes will save the EPA nearly $750m, officials said. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House science committee, called the elimination of the research office 'a travesty'. 'The Trump administration is firing hardworking scientists while employing political appointees whose job it is to lie incessantly to Congress and to the American people,' she said. 'The obliteration of ORD will have generational impacts on Americans' health and safety.' EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that the changes announced Friday would ensure the agency 'is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while Powering the Great American Comeback'. The EPA also said it is beginning the process to eliminate thousands of jobs, following asupreme court ruling last week that cleared the way for Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. Total staffing at EPA will go down to 12,448, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from staffing levels in January when Trump took office, the agency said. 'This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars,' Zeldin said, using a government term for mass firings. The office of research and development 'is the heart and brain of the EPA', said Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees. 'Without it, we don't have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,' Chen said. 'Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The research office – EPA's main science arm – currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees and public health officers, according to agency documents reviewed by Democratic staff on the House science panel earlier this year. As many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists could be laid off, the documents indicated. The research office has 10 facilities across the country, stretching from Florida and North Carolina to Oregon. An EPA spokeswoman said that all laboratory functions currently conducted by the research office will continue. In addition to the reduction in force, the agency also is offering the third round of deferred resignations for eligible employees, including research office staff, spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said. The application period is open until 25 July. The EPA's announcement comes two weeks after the agency put on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a 'declaration of dissent' with agency policies under the Trump administration. The agency accused the employees of 'unlawfully undermining' Trump's agenda. In a letter made public on 30June, the employees wrote that the EPA is no longer living up to its mission to protect human health and the environment. The letter represented rare public criticism from agency employees who knew they could face retaliation for speaking out. Associated Press contributed to reporting
