Environmental and Government News #7: 11/25/25
Hello, and happy early Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates! One of the biggest pieces of news in the U.S. environmental politics scene, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Donald Trump administration is moving to overturn the 2024 ruling that lowered the allowable concentration of soot in the air from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter. This rule was initially designed to protect public health, especially youth and the elderly. This rollback is still in the process of happening, despite legal challenges from nearly 25 states and industry groups. This change is an extreme showing of the tension between environmental health regulation and industry. As we have seen in the past year, the administration has taken the latter's side 9 times out of 10. This time, however, it is public health that is being endangered, not just the environment. In my opinion, big change must come from this administration to prioritize the health of the environment, an...