Obama Unveils Tough New Plans To Combat Climate Change

[Num7]

President Obama has revealed new environmental restrictions that could see hundreds of coal-fired power plants shut down and increased implementation of renewable energy technologies. In a video released by the White House, Obama describes the regulations as “the biggest, most important step we have ever taken” in tackling climate change.

The finalized Clean Power Plan aims to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), power plants are the largest source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. The regulations are designed to halt the production of new power plants and increase investment in wind, solar power and other sources of clean energy. The government predicts the new regulations could lead to 30% more clean energy generation by 2030.

“For many years people felt that emissions legislation of any sort in the U.S. was impossible. These plans are therefore extremely significant politically. They’ve come up with something that’s even a little bit stronger than what was on the table last year and that’s quite amazing,” Alyssa Gilbert, head of policy and translation at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, tells IFLScience.

Planned cuts to carbon emissions increased from 30% to 32% from previously proposed regulations in 2012 and 2014. The Clean Power Plan allows each state to decide how it will meet new regulations to cut carbon emissions. They will each have to submit proposals to the EPA by 2018 on how they will meet these new emission targets by 2030.

“While there are a lot of states that will challenge this, we can’t ignore that there are a lot of states that will also support this. The legislation is drafted in an extremely flexible way, there is a lot of different ways and different speed to which states can meet targets," Gilbert says.

Read more:
Obama Unveils Tough New Plans To Combat Climate Change | IFLScience

 

[Classicalfan626]

Global warming/climate change is nothing but a scam invented by communists, designed to tax the average taxpayer to "death", and make the elitists rich over the taxpayers' money or give it to entitlement programs designed for buying votes. I'd bet my life savings that flourishing alternative energy sources and a healthy economy won't come out of this if passed, for no nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity.

 

[TnWatchdog]

He's da man. lol

 

[walt willis]

Doctor Gray was my instructor at the storm chaser school and he said it was bad science at best.

 

[Classicalfan626]

He's da man. lol

Who are you talking about, Dawg?

 

[TnWatchdog]

Who are you talking about, Dawg?

I was referring to Obummer in a 'kidding' way...meaning it not to be a serious response.

 

[walt willis]

I feel so sorry for all the young folks that voted for change and that's all they got was pocket change.
About half of them can't find work and many of them can only find low wage jobs.
Not sure if I would put climate change (global warming) as a priority over our economic troubles.
It's not fair to do that to the young people that voted you into office.

 

[Physics vs Jaden]

President Obama has revealed new environmental restrictions that could see hundreds of coal-fired power plants shut down and increased implementation of renewable energy technologies. In a video released by the White House, Obama describes the regulations as “the biggest, most important step we have ever taken” in tackling climate change.

The finalized Clean Power Plan aims to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), power plants are the largest source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. The regulations are designed to halt the production of new power plants and increase investment in wind, solar power and other sources of clean energy. The government predicts the new regulations could lead to 30% more clean energy generation by 2030.

“For many years people felt that emissions legislation of any sort in the U.S. was impossible. These plans are therefore extremely significant politically. They’ve come up with something that’s even a little bit stronger than what was on the table last year and that’s quite amazing,” Alyssa Gilbert, head of policy and translation at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, tells IFLScience.

Planned cuts to carbon emissions increased from 30% to 32% from previously proposed regulations in 2012 and 2014. The Clean Power Plan allows each state to decide how it will meet new regulations to cut carbon emissions. They will each have to submit proposals to the EPA by 2018 on how they will meet these new emission targets by 2030.

“While there are a lot of states that will challenge this, we can’t ignore that there are a lot of states that will also support this. The legislation is drafted in an extremely flexible way, there is a lot of different ways and different speed to which states can meet targets," Gilbert says.

Read more:
Obama Unveils Tough New Plans To Combat Climate Change | IFLScience

Well, there is a down side. Just as job percentage is going up it will go down again because of people losing their jobs in the coal mines since coal won't be needed. Also, if other states are against and other states are for it it can become a mini civil war with, except with no blood. Also, election day just happened so if it doesn't work and there is a mini civil war with protests only it won't even get mostly solved because it will be the same people who have the same beliefs, unless they make a decision, but there will still be at least one state that is against it (if they decide to continue) or for it (if they decide to stop it). So, this could be good or bad. Only time will tell.

 

[Arctor]

It is sad that GW has been politicized like it has. It really detracts from the ability to actually have smart, legitimate discussions on the concept. It has been perverted into a means to bring about an agenda. I don't necessarily think it is a complete scam. Asimov was writing about it back in the 80's and I am sure others did too. The concept is there, I just don't think we have the evidence necessary to prove we have reached that point yet. I could say more, but I am tired and I have to get up early tomorrow.

 

[Classicalfan626]

@Arctor - You must remember though that Isaac Asimov was a socialist, and so he wrote about his speculated future in a socialist state of mind.