Sep 28, 2026 · 4 min · 7 segments
This week on Earth Radio, we look at the Trump administration's latest rollback of planet-warming emission limits for power plants, and a new report warning that the rush to scale up data centers…
Rebecca HendricksHostBut first, the Trump administration ended limits on emissions for coal and gas power plants.
These power plants are some of the biggest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in America.
With limits in place, the world was already on pace to warm around 1.8 degrees Celsius hotter than it was before industrialization.
Without a cap on emissions, it's difficult to imagine just how high global heat can soar.
Lee Zeldin, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is taking away the agency's ability to regulate emissions from power plants.
The endangerment finding came out of a 2009 Supreme Court case that found that greenhouse gases and their planet-warming effects are actually dangerous to human health.
Because greenhouse gases were found to be harmful, the EPA was given the power to regulate them.
After this backsliding, it may be difficult for future administrations to bring these regulations back.
But first, the Trump administration ended limits on emissions for coal and gas power plants.
These power plants are some of the biggest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in America.
With limits in place, the world was already on pace to warm around 1.8 degrees Celsius hotter than it was before industrialization.
Without a cap on emissions, it's difficult to imagine just how high global heat can soar.
Lee Zeldin, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is taking away the agency's ability to regulate emissions from power plants.
The endangerment finding came out of a 2009 Supreme Court case that found that greenhouse gases and their planet-warming effects are actually dangerous to human health.
Because greenhouse gases were found to be harmful, the EPA was given the power to regulate them.
After this backsliding, it may be difficult for future administrations to bring these regulations back.
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