Realizing What He Was Doing, 46th Day of Autumn, 525 M.E. (Aldebaran):  In a letter this week from by the Union of Concerned Scientists, more than 1,000 scientists and climate experts denounced the Stable Genius' attempts to overturn the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which acknowledges that heat-trapping emissions are endangering public health and welfare. The finding has long served as the legal basis for numerous federal regulations and has been upheld by the Supreme Court, but has long been a target of industry lobbyists and far-right groups like the Heritage Foundation. 

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, although not a scientist himself, has said the finding is based on flawed reasoning and causes economic harm. That opinion was refuted by the climate scientists, public health experts, and economists who affirmed "the indisputable scientific evidence of human-caused climate change, its harmful impacts on people's health and well-being, and the devastating costs it is imposing." They added, "This explicit attempt to undermine or weaken these findings, as well as the critical regulations linked to them, is contrary to science and the public interest." 

The letter also disputed a recent report by the U.S. DoE, criticizing it as inaccurate, contradictory, and a mischaracterization of data. “The scientific evidence on human-caused climate change and its consequences was unequivocal in 2009 and, since that time, has become even more dire and compelling."

"The world stands on the cusp of breaching the 1.5˚C mark on a long-term basis, the global average temperature increase above pre-industrial levels that scientists have long warned about," it warned. "Humanity’s window to act to stave off some of the worst impacts of climate change is fast closing; any further delay is harmful and costly." 

"Climate change poses severe harms to human health and well-being. These harms include higher rates of heat-related morbidity and mortality; increased transmission and geographic spread of certain infectious diseases; increases in poor air-quality days; increased risks to pregnant people and their babies; higher rates of heart and lung diseases; and worsening mental health. Climate-fueled extreme weather events can also affect food and water safety and security, and contribute to forced displacement of people." 

"We urge you to stop dismantling critical climate regulations and evading the EPA's responsibility by pushing disinformation about climate science and impacts," the letter continued. "Instead, we call on you to act with urgency to help address this pressing challenge by limiting heat-trapping emissions.

"People across the nation are relying on the EPA to fulfill its mission to protect public health and the environment."

But it won't matter. The Stable Genius doesn't read letters from scientists, and the EPA will do his bidding no matter the cost or damage.