Earlier today, the Trump administration revoked the EPA’s greenhouse gas Endangerment Finding. According to the EPA’s website regarding the 2009 finding:

“The Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.”

The website goes on to add:

“These findings do not themselves impose any requirements on industry or other entities. However, this action was a prerequisite for implementing greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and other sectors.”

In practical terms, revoking the 2009 Endangerment Finding removes the entire legal basis for the federal government to regulate or control the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating our planet and threatening our economy, our families and our fishing. Which means that the government will no longer be able to limit the greenhouse gasses which remain the single greatest threat to our angling.

In spite of the overwhelming scientific consensus on the dangers of anthropogenic warming, President Trump has called climate change a “hoax,” has stated that the Endangerment Finding had “no basis in fact,” and has stated that climate scientists are “stupid people.”

This is a breaking story which will be updated in the near future.