California Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO —The California Air Resources Board filed public comments debunking the U.S. Energy Department (DOE) study the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is using to eliminate federal climate programs. CARB’s comments include a detailed report calling out DOE misinformation and falsehoods one by one. 

The DOE report (“A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate”) claims to justify undoing the 2009 endangerment finding, which determined that climate-warming gases are harmful to human health and the environment. It also found that U.S. EPA has the authority to regulate those gases. Reversing the endangerment finding flies in the face of decades of U.S. and international research proving that human-caused climate change worsens already extreme weather, is fueling more intense wildfires, worsens air pollution and is killing people, among many other impacts. 

“This DOE document relies on the old tobacco industry strategy of undermining established science, spreading doubt about established reality and carelessly endangering fellow human beings,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “If the endangerment finding is rolled back, it will clearly establish that the federal government is further stamping its approval on a proposal that puts profits before the health of the people the administration claims to represent.” 

The CARB comments stand up for science instead of attempting to bury it. They take the DOE study to task for discounting the harm of extreme weather and climate disasters on human life and property. That discounted harm would include the recent loss of more than 120 people on Texas’ Guadelupe River, the 250 lost lives and hundreds of miles and billions of dollars in damage left across the Southeast by Hurricane Helene, and the lives and property lost in this year’s Los Angeles wildfires. Those are just three of the 27 multi-billion-dollar climate-driven weather disasters over the past year in the U.S.  

The CARB comments also point out dozens of instances of missing context, misinformation, selective editing and outright false statements contained in the DOE report. 

For example, the DOE report concedes the value of agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service in protecting the public. CARB points out that DOE does not mention that the Administration is gutting funding and dramatically cutting staff at those agencies. 

The comments from CARB attempt to set the record straight before the federal government can rewrite history to serve its own profit-driven ends.  

The submission follows verbal testimony CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff provided last month in opposition to the U.S. EPA’s proposal to reverse the endangerment finding.  

How CARB Continues to Move Climate Science Forward  

For nearly 60 years, CARB has helped clear California’s skies with science-driven policies that have fueled major breakthroughs in clean technology and pollution reduction.  

CARB recently released a draft of its five-year research plan for public comment, a key tool for shaping California’s air quality and climate. The plan advances robust, evidence-based research that provides the foundation for transparent, accountable, and forward-looking decisions. It also supports policies that can adapt to changing environmental and economic conditions while pursuing the state’s long-term goals.  

While focused on California, CARB’s research provides valuable insights for other regions confronting similar challenges. Without reliable data and rigorous analysis, policymaking can become reactive, vulnerable to misinformation, and less effective at addressing complex challenges that harm public health, the environment, and the economy. 

Rebuttal comments