The EPA just gutted the backbone of federal climate regulation. Could the West Coast step in?

In this episode of Pacific Time, veteran climate reporter Molly Peterson joins Greg to unpack the devastating implications of the EPA’s reversal of its greenhouse gas endangerment finding—the legal trigger that forces federal climate action. Without it, Washington no longer has to regulate greenhouse gases, even as wildfire smoke, ozone, and deadly heatwaves plague the West.

Molly and Greg explore what this means for California, Oregon, and Washington: Could these states lead a new era of climate policy absent federal involvement? Might they even seize legal and regulatory authority from the feds—and what would that spark?

Episode Highlights:

• The implications of the EPA rescinding the greenhouse gas endangerment finding
• Why wildfire smoke isn’t properly counted under current law
• Why the Clean Air Act wasn’t built for climate change
• Could California sue and/or simply take charge?

Guest Bio:
Molly Peterson is an award-winning environmental reporter whose work has appeared on NPR, The Guardian, LAist, and local outlets across the West. She covers air quality, water systems, and climate adaptation with a sharp eye for science, law, and public accountability. Her 2023 investigation into wildfire smoke loopholes helped reframe how we think about pollution and policy.

Resources:

• “Disasters Are Exactly the Time for Urban Planning,” Medium post by Molly Peterson
• Revealed: how a little-known pollution rule keeps the air dirty for millions of Americans | Wildfires | The Guardian
• “Resistance state: Tracking California’s lawsuits against the new Trump administration” CalMatters
• “What is the Clean Air Act?” US Environmental Protection Agency
• Trump administration moves to repeal climate ‘holy grail’ - POLITICO
  
  

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• 21 What if We Could Get Wildfire Under Control? With Hilary Franz
• 20 Could Duct Tape Save Our Public Lands? With Gwyn Howat
• 09 Will California Bring the Unsexy Back? With Dan Walters