The capitalist class never ceases to amaze with its brazenness. On this very day, February 13, 2026, the Trump administration has formally rescinded the Environmental Protection Agency’s so-called “endangerment finding”—that 2009 determination that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare. This is not merely a policy reversal; it is a naked declaration of class warfare.
The endangerment finding was the legal foundation upon which the federal government could regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. By eliminating this finding, the Trump administration has effectively handed the fossil fuel industry a blank check to continue poisoning the atmosphere without fear of federal intervention. The ruling class understands that climate change is not merely an environmental issue—it is a class issue. The working class, particularly those in low-income communities and communities of color, bears the brunt of environmental degradation, while the profits of the capitalist class continue to flow from the exploitation of natural resources and the destruction of the planet.
This move comes at a time when the capitalist class is desperate to maintain its dominance in the face of growing working-class resistance. The recent general strikes in Minneapolis and the Bharat Bandh in India demonstrate that the working class is awakening to its collective power. The Trump administration’s attack on environmental regulations is part of a broader strategy to crush any challenge to capitalist rule. By dismantling the EPA’s authority, the ruling class hopes to prevent the working class from using environmental concerns as a basis for organizing and demanding systemic change.
The history of the twentieth century teaches us that the ruling class will use any means necessary to preserve its position. From the suppression of labor movements to the manipulation of political institutions, the capitalist class has repeatedly shown its willingness to sacrifice the interests of the many for the benefit of the few. The rescinding of the endangerment finding is merely the latest chapter in this ongoing struggle.
What is needed now is a revolutionary perspective that recognizes the interconnectedness of all forms of oppression. Environmental degradation, racial oppression, and economic exploitation are not separate issues—they are manifestations of the same capitalist system that seeks to divide and conquer the working class. The working class must unite across all lines of division to confront the ruling class’s assault on both people and planet.
The struggle against climate change cannot be reduced to mere policy reform or technological fixes. It requires a fundamental transformation of society—the overthrow of capitalist rule and the establishment of a socialist society where the means of production are democratically controlled and the needs of humanity take precedence over profit. Only through such a transformation can we create a world where the working class and the environment can thrive together.