Washington, D.C. - Monday, September 22, 2025 - As trusted, science-based institutions, aquariums and zoos are deeply dedicated to advancing climate science, protecting wildlife, and safeguarding the health of our communities. Every year, we welcome millions of visitors, serve as centers for conservation research and education, and work to build resilience in the face of environmental challenges. Together, we are committed to ensuring a safer, healthier future for people, animals, and the ecosystems we all depend on.

The Endangerment Finding, established in 2009, is grounded in decades of scientific research demonstrating the dangers greenhouse gas pollution poses to public health and welfare. This determination provides the legal foundation for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit climate pollution under the Clean Air Act. Rolling back this critical protection would ignore overwhelming scientific evidence and worsen the impacts of climate change—rising health risks, more frequent and costly weather disasters, and mounting threats to our ocean, wildlife, and local economies.

The EPA’s mission is to protect people and the environment, and the Endangerment Finding is essential to fulfilling that responsibility. That is why aquariums and zoos across the country are speaking out in defense of climate science and public health. We urge the EPA to withdraw its proposed rule and uphold the Endangerment Finding—for our climate, our communities, and future generations.

See what aquarium and zoo CEOs are saying about the essential role the Endangerment Finding plays in protecting public health, our climate, and natural resources—and why the EPA must preserve it.

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“The climate crisis is real and the science behind it is well-established. The effects are already harming people and threatening the natural world that sustains us. Now the federal government is using discredited claims to undermine the nation’s ability to respond – putting our lives and livelihoods at risk.” Julie Packard, Executive Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium

“Rooted in decades of sound science, the EPA’s Endangerment Finding has led to cleaner air, healthier communities, and a stronger economy,” said John Racanelli, President & CEO of the National Aquarium. “Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are hurting communities around the country, harming the wildlife we treasure, and driving up costs of doing business. We urge the EPA to maintain science-based standards and its own authority to ensure a safer environment for us all, now and into the future.”

"For nearly four decades in this field, I've seen how science-based policy creates lasting positive change for both wildlife and communities. The Endangerment Finding has enabled cleaner air for the families visiting our park and healthier ecosystems for the animals we protect. Walking away from this established science threatens our mission to connect people with wildlife and compromises the world we're leaving for the next generation of conservationists." Alan Varsik, Director, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

“Climate change is already affecting families, communities, and local economies across the country. At Aquarium of Niagara, we see how a changing climate threatens both wildlife and people. The Endangerment Finding is essential to protecting clean air, safe water, and healthy communities, and we urge the EPA to uphold it for the sake of future generations.” Chad Fifer, President and CEO, Aquarium of the Niagara