J.T. Young
China’s two-fold climate advantage over the West is unraveling. The Trump administration’s revocation of the 2009 climate endangerment finding, the UN’s COP30 failure in Brazil, the reappraisals of Jamie Dimon and Bill Gates, and the frank admissions by some in Europe all point to an overdue shift in the West’s position. Beijing must be devastated because China has benefited absolutely from selling the West green energy technology and benefitted relatively as this technology has reduced the competitiveness of Western nations.
On February 12, the Trump administration revoked the EPA’s 2009 climate “endangerment finding” that classified CO-2 and five other greenhouse gases as public health threats. In contrast to his second-term’s first-day withdrawal (for the second time) from the 2015 Paris Agreement, this action had real teeth. The 2009 finding underpins a host of administration regulations (on vehicles, power facilities, and oil and gas operations). With the finding revoked, the regulations that relied on it could come down as well. Lawsuits are certain to follow from blue states and environmental groups.
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