Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh: EPA moves to end limits on climate pollution

July 31, 2025

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The Trump administration has announced that it is seeking to revoke the “endangerment finding:” the 2009 declaration by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that greenhouse gas pollution endangers public health and welfare. If successful, the EPA would then stop limiting all greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other pollution sources. On July 31, SciLine hosted a media availability with Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, professor of earth system science at Stanford University.

TV bundle includes:

Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
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Soundbite (SOT) and pronouncer

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Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)

ANCHOR
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT WANTS TO *UNDO A MAJOR RULE THAT HELPS FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE.
IT’S CALLED THE “ENDANGERMENT FINDING”… A TWO-THOUSAND-AND-NINE DETERMINATION THAT GREENHOUSE GASES ARE BAD FOR OUR HEALTH AND HEATING UP THE PLANET.

VO
THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING IS A KEY PART OF HOW THE CLEAN AIR ACT GIVES THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY… OR E-P-A … THE POWER TO LIMIT AIR POLLUTION.
IF REVOKED… THE E-P-A WOULD ELIMINATE EXISTING LIMITS ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM CARS… POWER PLANTS… AND FACTORIES… A MOVE DR. NOAH DIFFENBAUGH… A CLIMATE SCIENTIST AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY SAYS WILL KEEP THE POLLUTION FUELING CLIMATE CHANGE GOING.

SOT
Duration: 0:40
Super: Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh – Professor, Climate Scientist – Stanford University
“We now have clear evidence that greenhouse gasses in causing global warming are affecting the frequency and intensity of many kinds of extreme events in many parts of the world, particularly extreme. Hot events as well as intense precipitation events, the risk of severe drought in some parts of the world, the risks of severe wildfire weather, increases in storm surge flooding during land falling storms from sea level rise.”

VO
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ARGUES THAT MOST GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, AND THAT THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING RELIED ON FAULTY SCIENCE. DOCTOR DIFFENBAUGH SAYS SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING HAS ONLY GROWN STRONGER SINCE IT WAS ISSUED.

Raw, full-length interview covers:

Basic background on the endangerment finding, and the big-picture view of what will happen if the federal government loses its ability to make rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions;
The strength of the evidence that human-caused carbon emissions are responsible for worsening changes to the Earth’s climate;
What researchers know about the effects of climate change on public health and welfare;
Whether there is any scientific basis for rescinding the endangerment finding; and
Tangible ways in which the loss of the endangerment finding would affect the health and well-being of individuals and families in the United States.