A Step Too Short: Obamas New Carbon Pollution Rules Must Be Strengthened

Earlier this summer, in a crucial albeit insufficient step to mitigate climate disruption, President Obama proposed a rule to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants. The administration predicts that it would result in a 30 percent reduction of carbon pollution from power plants below 2005 levels, by 2030. It establishes targets for each state and encourages them to meet these targets by improving the efficiency of coal plants, switching to natural gas, increasing reliance on renewable energy and/or reducing energy demand. These actions will, hopefully, reduce the amount of carbon pollution from the electric power sector, which currently contributes almost 40 percent of the country’s total emissions. While the move is a significant step in regulating emissions from power plants and addressing climate change, it could go significantly further. Reports by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Greenpeace and others demonstrate that President Obama could be much more aggressive.

A Step Too Short: Obama’s New Carbon Pollution Rules Must Be Strengthened

-Huffington Post Generation Change 9/16/2014