WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON

Moms are constantly pushing for the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution. Over the last few years, we’ve made significant progress. But with the passage in July 2025 of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which eliminates federally funded clean energy programs, and the Trump EPA’s proposals to roll back power plant pollution rules and the Endangerment Finding, the legal foundation of the agency’s responsibility to regulate climate pollution—our recent progress in fully under attack. Join Moms in speaking out before the Endangerment Finding comment period closes on September 22!

Take Action

MOMS ACTION

In an effort to drastically reduce carbon dioxide pollution across the country, we:

EDUCATE We teach our members to give testimony before EPA in support of stronger carbon pollution standards and host webinars on topics related to carbon dioxide pollution. Our resource Carbon Dioxide 101 explains this greenhouse gas in a way anyone—even kids—can understand.
PETITION In 2023 alone, we sent more than 30,000 comments to EPA in support of strong rules to cut carbon dioxide pollution from multiple sources, including transportation and power plants.
PARTNER Moms works closely with many organizations on reducing climate pollution, including the Climate Action Campaign, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, Our Children’s Trust, the American Lung Association, and the Environmental Defense Fund, among others.
AMPLIFY Moms staff and members have been featured in over 50 articles on carbon dioxide pollution, soot, and climate standards since the IRA passed in 2022.
SUCCEED Testimony helps move the needle: A year after more than 60 of our staff and members gave testimony in support of stronger power plant standards at an EPA public hearing and more than 9,000 more submitted written comments, EPA announced updated power plant rules to slash carbon dioxide pollution.

OUR CARBON POLLUTION EXPERTS

Elizabeth Bechard

Public Health Manager

Melody Reis

Director of Federal Policy

Almeta E. Cooper

National Manager for Health Justice

FEATURED RESOURCES

Fact Sheet

Carbon Dioxide 101

Press Statement

Two Big Ugly Rollbacks: Proposed EPA Rollbacks of Power Plant Pollution Protections Are Cruel and Unpatriotic, Declares Moms Clean Air Force

Fact Sheet

Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers, and Climate Change

WHY WE CARE

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is a major contributor to climate change. In the past 200 years, carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere, has skyrocketed to dangerous levels unprecedented in the history of human civilization. This is happening as a result of human activity—mainly burning coal, oil, and natural gas for transportation, energy, and plastics manufacturing, as well as emissions from big-scale agricultural processes.

HEALTH IMPACTS

While carbon dioxide is not harmful in and of itself, it’s a grave global health threat; its unchecked release into the atmosphere is polluting our climate. This greenhouse gas worsens air quality, increases heat and heat-related illnesses, and exacerbates all climate-related health concerns. Reducing carbon dioxide along with other related power plant emissions helps communities avoid asthma attacks, preterm births, low birth weight, and so much more. Curtailing carbon dioxide is essential to fighting climate change and safeguarding the health and future of our children.

In the past 200 years, carbon dioxide has skyrocketed to dangerous levels unprecedented in the history of human civilization.

COMMUNITY IMPACTS

The power plants that release carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions have historically been located near communities of color and low-income communities. As climate change worsens air quality, these communities are being disproportionately impacted. Hispanic children are 40% more likely to die from asthma than non-Hispanic white children. Black communities with greater exposure to air pollution have higher than average childhood asthma rates, and Black children have a 500% higher mortality rate from asthma than white kids. Outdoor workers, including farmworkers, are also highly vulnerable to extreme heat and heat-related illness.

BACK STORY ON
CARBON POLLUTION

In August 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a stunning legislative achievement. President Joe Biden signed this bill into law on August 16, 2022. The Inflation Reduction Act included an unprecedented $369 billion investment in cutting climate pollution and put the U.S. on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2, 40% by 2030.

Many of these funds have already been allocated to clean air, energy, and transportation projects across the country, but Trump has moved to unconstitutionally freeze the remaining money, and Congress has slated many of the clean energy programs included in the Inflation Reduction Act to close in December 2025. Moms are working to ensure as many funds as possible flow into our communities before then, calling out what’s at stake—our children’s health and future—in the media and to our local elected officials.

We are also working at the state and local levels to cut carbon pollution. Many U.S. states have set carbon reduction targets, and Moms works with state lawmakers and regulatory agencies to ensure those targets are reached. Find out more about our state work to cut carbon pollution by visiting our state webpages.