February 12, 2026
Washington, DC – February 12, 2026 – The U.S. Climate Action Network (USCAN) stands in fierce opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) current path toward rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding. This bedrock scientific and legal determination—which confirms that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations—is not a matter of political opinion; it is a statement of undeniable physical reality.
On August 19 and 20, 2025, USCAN joined hundreds of concerned citizens, scientists, activists, business leaders, and elected officials who stood before the EPA to testify against this reckless proposal. Notably, over 50 representatives from USCAN member organizations provided powerful testimony, delivering a clear and unified message from across our diverse network: The science is settled, and the danger is real.
Despite this overwhelming evidence and the compelling stories of those impacted first and worst, the EPA continues to move forward with the consideration of a rescission. By ignoring the depth of public and scientific outcry, the agency is fundamentally abandoning its mandate to “protect human health and the environment.”
As USCAN’s Executive Director, Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, testified during the hearings, the climate crisis is a political tragedy driven by a refusal to regulate. Government regulations are the only way to ensure that the pursuit of profit does not come at the expense of our health and our ecosystems.
Without the Endangerment Finding, businesses have no financial incentive to account for the pollution they create or the health crises they fuel in our communities. When these "hidden costs" are ignored, the true price of production is borne by the environment and society—leading to the unchecked degradation we see unfolding today.
The United States bears a profound historical responsibility as a leading contributor to global cumulative emissions. Upholding the Endangerment Finding is not just about acknowledging risk; it is a critical opportunity to lower emissions and lead the transition to a clean economy.
To rescind this finding is to attempt to "legislate away" the laws of physics and the ethical obligations of leadership. It is a dangerous act of political theater that prioritizes the short-term interests of a few greedy corporations over the prosperity and survival of billions.
We urge every concerned individual to continue raising their voice in opposition to this rescission. We must flood the record with the truth until it can no longer be ignored.
This move is part of a broader, troubling pattern of dismantling the fabric of a society that requires informed debate and evidence-based policy. While the federal government may choose to retreat into denial, the U.S. Climate Action Network and our 175+ member organizations will not.
We call on the EPA to fulfill its historical responsibility and protect the future of our children and the planet.
Reactions from USCAN and its members:
Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, Executive Director, U.S. Climate Action Network said:
“In any advanced society, government regulations are the essential guardrails that protect us all from unchecked corporate interests. These rules are the only way to ensure the health and well-being of people and the ecosystems of which we are part. Without this protection, the market's pursuit of profit will continue to ignore the true cost of its operations, leaving society and the environment to bear the burden of the harm."
Rachael Thompson, Executive Director, Glynn Environmental Coalition said:
“The climate crisis is no longer imminent - it is here and now. Climate disasters in the past three years have claimed hundreds of lives and cost hundreds of billions of dollars in overall damages. In 2024, there were 27 confirmed climate disaster events in the U.S. with losses exceeding $1 billion each. Science has shown us that more frequent and intense extreme weather events are a direct result of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Rescinding the EPA Endangerment Finding will eliminate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in more lives of U.S. citizens lost and further burdening communities to harm perpetuated by industry.”
Leah Wiste, Executive Director, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light said:
“Our wisdom traditions teach us that human beings are stewards of Creation—endowed with a special responsibility to tend and manage the Earth, our home. This is a sacred relationship and a two-way street. We are caretakers who are also dependent and reliant on the gifts of Creation: fresh water, clean air, and the fruits of the living planet. When we fail to uphold our duty to protect and restore Creation, we diminish our own wellbeing. And when we keep failing—in spite of everything science and common sense tell us—we put into motion our own demise. Rolling back the Endangerment Finding, and knee-capping the EPA’s ability to regulate climate pollution and to advance climate solutions, is an affront to the sanctity of life. It will deepen the harms we and our neighbors are already experiencing. We condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.”
Steve Simon, Elders Climate Action member said:
“The Endangerment Finding is critical to our health. I know what our country looked like before EPA rules protected our water and air. I recall images of the Cuyahoga River on fire and brown air engulfing cities like Los Angeles—all from pollution. We owe it to our grandchildren to speak out for their future and demand leaders put people’s health and safety ahead of polluters’ profits.”
Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action said:
“The Endangerment Finding was the very foundation that established the scientific truth that greenhouse gas emissions released by fossil fuels cause harm. It is the bedrock upon which the EPA was able to fulfill its mission. Repealing the Finding is like tossing out the Ten Commandments. They are not only denying something that's fundamentally true about the world, but have eliminated what enables our federal government to live and act in alignment with our core values. It is now incumbent on all Americans to redouble our efforts to encourage states and local policymakers to do all in their power to fill the void and advance the clean energy revolution that is necessary to build a just, safe, livable future for all of us.”
Tonyehn Verkitus, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania said:
“The rescission of the Endangerment Finding is a government-sanctioned crime against public health and the environment. The current administration’s rejection of overwhelming, science-based evidence signals a profound disregard for the wellbeing of our planet and a clear prioritization of corporate interests over human life. Without these protections, our fundamental right to clean air and clean water is sacrificed at the altar of greed.”
Rev. Dr. Becca Edwards, Climate Action Fellow, Texas Impact said:
“The July 4 flooding in Central Texas that claimed more than a hundred and thirty lives is just the most recent example of the kind of extreme weather Texas must endure as climate impacts worsen. For the families of those victims and for all Texans, climate change is no longer theoretical. We live in a state which depends on strong federal air regulation to protect us from the abuses of an oil and gas industry which has been allowed to operate with impunity for too long. The Endangerment Finding is based upon science which has only grown more conclusive in the decades since its passage: greenhouse gases are a direct threat to human health. For Texans of all faiths, the repeal of the Endangerment Finding is a violation of our sacred call to love our neighbor and protect the vulnerable.”
Press Contact:
Sriram Madhusoodanan, smadhusoodanan@usclimatenetwork.org, +1 857 413 6428
Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, ikilimanjaro@usclimatenetwork.org, +1 202 240 8410
