The Climate Deregulation Playbook: A Familiar Script
The Trump administration's move to rescind the 'endangerment finding' by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2026 is presented as a novel reversal. In reality, it is a predictable maneuver in a long-running campaign to undermine environmental regulation. FIRST INSTANCE: The First 'Endangerment' Denial (1981-1989) While the 'endangerment finding' specifically ties greenhouse gases to
public health and welfare, the concept of denying established scientific consensus for political gain is older. In 1981, upon taking office, the Reagan administration sought to dismantle environmental regulations, particularly those related to air quality. Despite growing scientific evidence, then-EPA Administrator Anne Gorsuch (mother of Neil Gorsuch, appointed to the Supreme Court by Trump)
significantly cut the agency's budget and staff, delaying enforcement and scientific studies. This period saw a deliberate effort to downplay the harms of acid rain, a major environmental concern of the era, long after its scientific basis was established (National Academy of Sciences, 1983). The playbook was simple: defund, delay, and deny. REPETITIONS: The Kyoto Protocol and Beyond (1997-2001)
Fast forward to 1997. The US Senate passed the Byrd-Hagel Resolution (S.Res.98) by a 95-0 vote, expressing opposition to any agreement on climate change that would mandate new commitments for Annex I (developed) countries without imposing similar commitments on developing countries. This pre-emptively undermined the Kyoto Protocol, which the US ultimately did not ratify. This was not a scientific