Photo by Alyssa Schukar for Earthjustice
On September 17, 2025, I was proud to join Climate Action Campaign, members of Congress, and other environmental advocates to call out the Trump Administration’s dangerous climate chaos plan and its latest attack on the Endangerment Finding.
Back during the Obama Administration, I was a college student studying Environmental Policy, hopeful and eager to take on the world to address climate change. It was during this time that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Endangerment Finding, which concluded that greenhouse gas emissions (the pollution that causes climate change) puts our health at risk. This finding gave EPA the ability to take action to fight climate change and limit harmful emissions from major sources like trucks and vehicles, oil and gas operations, and power plants.
Now, at a time when bold climate action is needed more than ever, Trump's EPA proposed repealing this crucial finding. This move ignores overwhelming scientific evidence and would strip EPA’s ability to act on climate change. It’s been stressful and disheartening to watch years of progress come under attack.
But our day on Capitol Hill reminded me why I still have hope.
It started with a press conference that included several members of Congress, who aren’t afraid to call out the Trump Administration (including Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA); Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Sean Casten (D-IL), Gabe Amo (D-RI), and Mike Levin (D-CA)). They were followed by a group of young children boldly holding signs about the future they deserve. Then, alongside Climate Action Campaign and a coalition of allies, we delivered over 225,000 public comments to EPA that were collected during the public comment period against the repeal of the Endangerment Finding.
I felt a resurgence of the same defiant energy as my college days: We are not going to back down. We will continue to show up. And we will send a clear message that EPA must do its job to protect our health, our environment, and our future.
Here’s some photos from the day taken by Alyssa Schukar for Earthjustice:
