Consortium Statement on the Proposed Repeal of the Endangerment Finding

July 29, 2025

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Savannah Martincic, Manager of Communication, The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health
smartincic@ms2ch.org

Today, July 29, 2025, the Trump administration released its proposal to rescind the endangerment finding, which determined that pollutants from burning fossil fuels threaten human life by dangerously warming the planet. It has been the bedrock of the US government’s ability to rein in the pollution that causes climate change and has been upheld in the courts and reinforced through legislation.

Below is a statement from Lisa Patel, MD, executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health brings together medical societies to protect all people from the devastating health impacts of climate change and climate-related pollutants. The Consortium represents over half of physicians across the U.S.

“I am deeply alarmed by efforts to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding. Such a move prioritizes the interests of the fossil fuel industry over the health, safety, and economic security of the American people.

“While the administration argues that regulations to curb greenhouse gas pollution are too costly, the reality is that the public is already paying a far steeper price: homes and communities destroyed, chronic and acute health impacts, and skyrocketing healthcare and disaster response costs resulting from extreme heat, wildfires, floods, droughts, and superstorms. There is perhaps no clearer example of this misplaced prioritization than the federal government’s recent refusal to provide FEMA assistance to Maryland residents following May’s catastrophic floods—floods likely worsened by climate change.

“These are not abstract threats—extreme heat accelerates aging and worsens chronic illness; repeated exposures to wildfire smoke risks premature death; and floods claim lives in the dark of night. For the administration to pursue a repeal now amid the heartbreak in Asheville, Los Angeles, and Kerrville is to ignore the lived reality of communities and health professionals on the frontlines. Doubling down on the pollution that is driving these disasters is not only reckless and costly—it is also a profound failure of public duty.

“As doctors, nurses, and health professionals, we work hard to care for our patients, but we need help preventing harm in the first place. Overturning the endangerment finding would make that significantly more difficult to do.

“At the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, we will continue to educate the public on the impacts of climate pollution and advocate for policies that make it possible for all people in this country to live in a stable and healthy climate.” 

The views expressed here are of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and not necessarily of its medical society members.