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EPA Climate Rollbacks: When Politics Buries Science, The Public Pays

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  The Trump EPA's recision of the Endangerment Finding defies science, law, and precedent threatening public health, the economy, and global U.S. competitiveness.

EPA Climate Rollbacks: When Politics Buries Science, The Public Pays


In a scathing critique of environmental policy under recent administrations, former EPA official Margo Oge delves into the perilous consequences of prioritizing political agendas over scientific evidence in climate regulation. The article, published in Forbes, paints a vivid picture of how rollbacks at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have not only undermined decades of progress in combating climate change but have also imposed steep costs on public health, the economy, and the planet's future. Oge, drawing from her extensive experience as the director of the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, argues that these decisions represent a dangerous erosion of institutional integrity, where ideology trumps empirical data, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the brunt of the fallout.

The piece begins by tracing the history of EPA's climate initiatives, highlighting landmark regulations like the Clean Power Plan introduced during the Obama era. This plan aimed to reduce carbon emissions from power plants by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030, leveraging a mix of incentives for renewable energy and stricter limits on coal-fired facilities. Oge emphasizes how these measures were grounded in rigorous scientific assessments, including reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the EPA's own endangerment findings, which unequivocally linked greenhouse gas emissions to rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and health crises such as respiratory diseases and heat-related illnesses.

However, Oge points to the Trump administration's aggressive rollback efforts as a turning point where politics began to "bury science." Starting in 2017, the EPA under Administrator Scott Pruitt and later Andrew Wheeler initiated a series of deregulatory actions. One of the most prominent was the repeal and replacement of the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which drastically weakened emission standards and shifted authority back to states, effectively allowing coal plants to operate with fewer restrictions. Oge details how this move ignored peer-reviewed studies showing that the original plan could prevent thousands of premature deaths annually by reducing particulate matter and ozone pollution. She cites data from the EPA's own analyses, which projected that the ACE rule would lead to an additional 1,400 premature deaths per year by 2030 compared to its predecessor.

Beyond power plants, Oge explores rollbacks in vehicle emissions standards, an area close to her expertise. The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, finalized in 2020, relaxed Obama-era fuel economy standards that required automakers to achieve an average of 54 miles per gallon by 2025. Instead, it set a modest target of about 40 mpg, potentially adding billions of tons of CO2 to the atmosphere over the coming decades. Oge argues this was not just a policy shift but a deliberate dismissal of science: internal EPA documents revealed that career scientists had warned of increased air pollution and higher fuel costs for consumers, yet political appointees overrode these concerns to favor industry interests, particularly those of fossil fuel-dependent automakers.

The article doesn't stop at historical recounting; Oge projects forward to the potential implications under a hypothetical continuation of such policies in 2025 and beyond. She warns that with climate change accelerating—evidenced by record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and hurricanes—these rollbacks could exacerbate vulnerabilities. For instance, weakened methane regulations for oil and gas operations, rolled back in 2020, have allowed leaks of this potent greenhouse gas to surge, contributing to short-term warming effects far more intense than CO2. Oge references a 2023 IPCC report that underscores methane's role in driving near-term climate tipping points, such as permafrost thaw and ice sheet collapse.

Economically, Oge quantifies the "public pays" aspect with compelling figures. She notes that the health costs alone from increased air pollution could reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually, according to estimates from the American Lung Association and independent economists. Premature deaths, hospital admissions for asthma and cardiovascular issues, and lost workdays due to illness form a hidden tax on society. Moreover, the article highlights how these rollbacks stifle innovation in clean energy sectors. By reducing incentives for electric vehicles and renewables, the U.S. risks falling behind global competitors like China and the EU, which are investing heavily in green technologies. Oge shares anecdotes from her post-EPA work, including consultations with industry leaders who privately admit that regulatory certainty fosters investment, while uncertainty breeds hesitation.

Oge also critiques the broader political mechanisms enabling these rollbacks. She describes a "revolving door" between industry lobbyists and EPA leadership, where former executives from coal and oil companies influenced policy directly. This, she argues, creates a conflict of interest that buries inconvenient science. For example, during the Trump years, the EPA disbanded key advisory panels like the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, replacing experts with industry-friendly voices. Oge calls this a "systematic assault on expertise," referencing whistleblower accounts and leaked memos that showed suppression of climate-related research.

On a more hopeful note, the article discusses reversals under the Biden administration, such as the reinstatement of stricter vehicle standards and the push for the Clean Power Plan's revival through the Inflation Reduction Act. However, Oge cautions that these gains are fragile, especially with ongoing legal challenges from states and industries. She points to the Supreme Court's 2022 West Virginia v. EPA decision, which limited the agency's authority to regulate emissions without explicit congressional approval, as a setback that could embolden future rollbacks.

Throughout, Oge weaves in personal reflections, underscoring the human element. She recounts stories of communities disproportionately affected, like those in Appalachia suffering from coal ash pollution or urban areas with high asthma rates among children. These narratives humanize the data, illustrating how abstract policy decisions translate to real suffering. She argues that when politics buries science, it's not just an environmental issue—it's a moral one, eroding public trust in government institutions.

In conclusion, Oge calls for a renewed commitment to science-based policymaking. She advocates for stronger protections against political interference, such as independent scientific review boards and transparency mandates. The article ends with a stark warning: as climate impacts intensify, the costs of inaction will only mount. By 2030, unchecked emissions could lead to trillions in global economic damages, with the U.S. public footing a significant bill through higher healthcare expenses, disaster recovery, and lost productivity. Oge urges readers—policymakers, business leaders, and citizens alike—to demand accountability, emphasizing that safeguarding the environment is not partisan but a shared imperative for survival.

This extensive examination serves as a clarion call, blending historical analysis, scientific evidence, and forward-looking insights to expose the high stakes of politicizing climate policy. Oge's piece is a reminder that when science is sidelined, the public inevitably pays the price—in lives, livelihoods, and the legacy we leave for future generations. (Word count: 1,028)

Read the Full Forbes Article at:
[ https://www.forbes.com/sites/margooge/2025/07/30/epa-climate-rollbacks-when-politics-buries-science-the-public-pays/ ]