In late July, the Trump administration moved to revoke the “endangerment finding” — a key Environmental Protection Agency determination that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose a risk to public health. That finding serves as the scientific and legal foundation for major environmental regulations, including those on vehicles and power plants.
When the Department of Energy released a report in support of revoking the finding, mainstream scientists quickly flagged concerns about its validity. AP reporters Seth Borenstein and Michael Phillis set out to dig deeper into the administration’s scientific basis — or lack thereof.
Working alongside data reporter Mary Katherine Wildeman, the team crafted a survey to evaluate both the DOE report and the Environmental Protection Agency’s subsequent recommendation. They semi-automated a process that sent the survey to every scientist cited in the DOE analysis.
Sixty-four scientists responded. What emerged was the most comprehensive and authoritative report published by any major news outlet examining the quality of the science behind the Trump administration’s reversal of a landmark climate policy. The piece provided a critical accountability check on an issue with major consequences for public health and climate regulation.
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