Climate Science

10 posts

Defending the Climate Science Reference Guide

  On January 29, 2026, a coalition of 27 state attorneys general, led by West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey, sent a letter to the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) demanding immediate withdrawal of the “Reference Guide on Climate Science” from the Fourth Edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific […]

Responding to EPA’s Claim that U.S. Motor Vehicle Emissions Have a “De Minimis” Impact on Climate-Related Harms

  On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule rescinding the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and eliminating all federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for U.S. motor vehicles and engines. To justify this action, EPA has adopted an  interpretation of the Clean Air […]

New Article on Climate Science and Natural Resource Litigation

  Climate change has major implications for the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources. Rapid and unprecedented changes in bioclimatic conditions can significantly affect the integrity, productivity, and carrying capacity of ecological systems that provide essential resources such as food, timber, and fresh water. Many natural systems are already […]

Attribution Science and EPA’s Reconsideration of the GHG Endangerment Finding

On March 12, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to reconsider EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with all regulations and actions that rely on the finding. This process was initiated pursuant to an executive order issued by President Trump on the first […]

Climate Attribution and the Willow Project: Federal Obligations to Evaluate the Effects of Fossil Fuel Leasing on Endangered Species

In November, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska dismissed two lawsuits filed by environmental organizations and an indigenous Iñupiat group seeking vacatur of the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil and gas project. As we have detailed in previous blog posts, the Willow project […]

Using Attribution Science to Evaluate the Effects of Oil and Gas Emissions on Endangered and Threatened Species

  Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was sued for its approval of a major oil drilling operation known as the “Willow project”. The project is controversial due to its contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its location on the North Slope of Alaska, which happens […]

Silencing Science Tracker Expanded to Include State and Local Government Actions

By Romany Webb In January, the Sabin Center and Climate Science Legal Defense Fund launched the Silencing Science Tracker (SST). As its name suggests, the SST records government attempts to prevent or restrict scientific research, education, or discussion since the November 2016 election. Initially, the SST only recorded anti-science behavior […]

New Silencing Science Tracker Launched by the Sabin Center and Climate Science Legal Defense Fund

By Romany Webb Just a year into his term, President Trump has already gained a reputation for being staunchly anti-science, with his administration recently described as showing “greater distain for science” than any other in modern history. Every day, it seems, there is a new report of the administration reducing […]