Catholics Work Together to Defend Climate Rules in U.S.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is trying to rescind the “Endangerment Finding”— a determination that the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threaten public health and welfare, providing the legal basis for the EPA to regulate these pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Its repeal would clear the way for the rollback of critical climate protections, including regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and power plants.

You can submit your own comment to the EPA until Sept. 22 to let them know how you would be impacted by ending the Endangerment Finding at https://bit.ly/EPAsubmitcomment

You can see the thousands of comments other people have submitted at https://bit.ly/EPAviewcomments

You can also add your name to a joint Catholic comment to the EPA. The deadline to sign is September 15. Add your name at https://bit.ly/EPACatholicComment

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined forces with seven other U.S. Catholic organizations to gather nearly 5,000 signatures from U.S. Catholics on the joint comment to the EPA that says “do what is right and just – do not repeal the Endangerment Finding and do not strip away the life-saving greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks.”

The joint Catholic comment explains the impact ending EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions would have on impoverished and vulnerable people:

“It is the poor and vulnerable who would be harmed the most by an abandonment of federal regulations of greenhouse gas emissions: the unborn children at risk of preterm birth and developmental delays, the elementary students missing school because of asthma symptoms, the grandparents developing lung or heart disease, the day-laborers suffering in extreme heat, and the Black and Brown communities who disproportionately bear these burdens due to redlining and systemic racism. These are the communities that the EPA will be abandoning through this rule.”

Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque, Iowa, shared with us his comment to the EPA at a public hearing on Aug. 21. The archbishop said:

“My purpose in these brief remarks is to convey the moral responsibility we have to protect life, care for creation, and defend the most vulnerable — responsibilities that are jeopardized by proposed rollbacks of the Endangerment Finding and vehicle pollution standards.

“In the Catholic Church, we believe that creation is a gift entrusted to our care. Stewardship of the earth is not optional; it is a moral duty. Protecting human dignity means protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the climate that sustains life. Solidarity requires us to stand with the poor and vulnerable, who are always the first and worst impacted by pollution and climate disruption. To deny climate science is to deny reality and close our eyes to the truth of God’s creation. Love of neighbor demands action to prevent harm.

“The harm is real. In 2024 alone, the United States experienced 27 extreme weather events, causing at least 568 deaths. The past ten years have been the hottest on record, with extreme heat doubling U.S. deaths since 1999. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women are especially at risk. Vehicle pollution remains a major source of this danger, with 72 million Americans living near major trucking routes — disproportionately harming people of color and low-income families. Here in Iowa, we have seen record floods, tornadoes, and heat waves. From river to river, our people are suffering.

“Strong standards save lives. They prevent billions of tons of climate pollution, reduce smog and soot, and mean fewer cases of asthma and premature death. Families save thousands of dollars on fuel and healthcare costs. These protections are good for people and good for God’s creation.

“So I urge the EPA: uphold the Endangerment Finding and maintain strong vehicle pollution standards. We will be judged by how we protect the least among us. The call before us is clear: protect human life, defend human dignity, and safeguard our common home.”

Catholic Climate Covenant’s Executive Director Dan Misleh also testified against the rescission of the Endangerment Finding at the public hearing on Aug. 21. He said, “The endangerment finding that governs EPA regulations on carbon dioxide and other pollutants is an essential part of promoting the common good. To rescind this finding and roll back these life-saving regulations is both ill-advised and a callous response to the suffering of people and the planet.”