Expert calls out misleading US government proposal: 'It's right in front of our eyes'

Pharmacist and influencer Dr. Harini Bhat (@tilscience) vented her frustrations with a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

@tilscience This has to be the ultimate gaslighting…I sincerely wish this was a joke. The EPA is trying to legally declare that greenhouse gases aren't dangerous... Here's what you need to know: In 2009, the EPA made an "endangerment finding" based on THOUSANDS of studies confirming greenhouse gases harm public health. Now they want to repeal it. While we're living through record heat, floods, and wildfires. But the good news is we can fight back. Public comments actually matter for court challenges. Link to comment in the header. Deadline: Sept 15th. The science is clear. The choice is ours. @Earthjustice #epa #science #publichealth #earth ♬ original sound - Dr. Harini Bhat, PharmD

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Bhat says, "but the literal Environmental Protection Agency is trying to convince us that greenhouse gases aren't dangerous."

Bhat then gives her audience the rundown.

In 2009, Bhat explains, the EPA made an "endangerment finding" regarding greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Citing a large body of research as evidence, the EPA concluded that these gases pose a significant threat to public health. According to the Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment, this finding gave the EPA the authority to regulate pollution from cars, trucks, and power plants.

However, that could soon change. "Now the current administration wants to repeal it," Bhat says.

The EPA proposed a reconsideration of the endangerment finding July 29. This new proposal would remove pollution regulations for cars and trucks. Engine and vehicle manufacturers would no longer have to measure the pollution output of their products.

As of the time of writing, the EPA plans to repeal the endangerment finding, though this may not take place until January, according to Politico's E&E News.

Removing these pollution regulations could set off a ripple effect across the nation — and the world.

Bhat discusses extreme weather phenomena across the country, citing flooding in Texas, heat domes in the Pacific Northwest, and year-round wildfires as examples. "Floods and wildfires are happening as we speak … it's right in front of our eyes," she says.

Extreme weather events are a direct consequence of the planet's warming. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the mean land surface air temperature has risen considerably since 1850. This is directly linked to pollution from burning fossil fuels and has led to worldwide land degradation, heat waves, and droughts.

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The U.S. is no exception. At the time of writing, the California Pack Fire rapidly spread from 10 to thousands of acres, just one in a series of unprecedented wildfires in the region.

This reversal could also devastate public health, as the 2009 endangerment finding stated. For example, one new study found a link between premature deaths in marginalized communities and air pollution from fossil fuels. Another study discovered that venting from gas plants causes two daily premature deaths in the U.S.

"This isn't about politics," Bhat concludes. "This is about whether our government will protect public health or ignore it while people's lives hang in the balance." 

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