In this episode of A Climate Change with Matt Matern, a panel of leading climate attorneys and advocates unpacks the Trump administration’s attempt to repeal the EPA’s Endangerment Finding - the legal cornerstone of federal climate regulation. They explain its scientific and legal foundations, the risks to public health, the economy, and U.S. climate leadership if overturned, and the importance of public engagement in defending it. The discussion highlights legal battles ahead, grassroots action, and why this fight shapes America’s climate future.

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Episode Resources

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) - Endangerment Finding info & comment portalNatural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) - Action alert to submit comments to EPAEarthjusticeSierra Club

Guests:

Meredith Hankins, Federal Climate Legal Director at NRDC (she/they)Meredith Hankins works to reduce pollution from the power and industrial sectors, using litigation and administrative advocacy to develop, protect, and enforce strong federal standards. Hankins has more than a decade of experience working with the Clean Air Act, beginning as a refinery permitting engineer at the South Coast Air Quality Management District and later as a deputy attorney general representing the state of California in challenges to Trump-era environmental rollbacks.

Peter Zalzal, Distinguished Counsel and Associate Vice President, Clean Air Strategies at Environmental Defense Fund (he/him)As a member of EDF’s Domestic Climate and Air legal team, Peter Zalzal works to secure clean air and support climate change mitigation through policy initiatives and strategic litigation. Peter works with businesses, public health groups, states, environmental groups and other allies to advocate and defend efficient policies to curb emissions that are destabilizing the climate and harming human health.

Marvin Brown, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice (he/him)Marvin C. Brown IV is a senior attorney at Earthjustice, specializing in environmental and civil rights law. He previously clerked for Chief Judge R. Guy Cole, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and practiced at firms including Baker&Hostetler and The Chandra Law Firm. A graduate of Yale Law School, Brown also studied at Ohio State University and was a Fox Fellow at the University of Cape Town. His work has spanned issues from police brutality and employment discrimination to environmental justice.

Patrick Drupp, Director of Climate Policy at Sierra Club (he/him)Patrick works at the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization. He primarily works to advance policy in Congress and the Administration (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy) to rapidly deploy clean energy, clean up air pollution, and fight climate change.

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