“But today, with America leading the way, countries representing 70% of the carbon pollution from the world’s energy sector have announced plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions“, said the US President.
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At a ceremony at the White House I was proud to attend, yesterday the president finalized the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever federal limits on global warming pollution from power plants.
“This regressive penalty on the middle class should not come as a surprise”.
In another major feature of the new plan, the White House would encourage a drastic shift from the use of coal towards renewable energy in generating electricity, setting the target for renewables’ share of electric generation at 28 percent of all capacity. “We’re the last generation that can do something about it”, Obama told a sympathetic audience at the White House.
The Clean Power Plan is also avowed to bring about significant public health benefits by reducing premature deaths from power plant emissions by almost 90 percent in 2030 and decrease the pollutants that contribute to the soot and smog and can lead to more asthma attacks in kids by more than 70 percent. Critics argue the plan is on shaky legal ground, but the administration says it’s prepared to defend the regulations in court. The plan also allows states additional time to submit their final plans – two additional years and a compliance averaging period beginning in 2022 rather than 2020.
Currently, roughly a third of US energy is provided by coal-fired power plants.
“The EPA’s final plan is unattainable, unachievable and unrealistic”. Firstly, renewable energy sources have become cheaper and easier to build. Secondly states are expected to be able to easily outsource clean electrical power from neighboring states if they are unable to generate it themselves.
“I’m convinced no challenge provides a greater threat to the future of the planet”, Mr Obama said.
The minister said that poor countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam and Maldives were suffering the most due to climate change, which was being caused mostly by the developed countries.
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Jeff Holmstead, a partner at Bracewell & Giuliani and a former official at the Environmental Protection Agency, said the bigger role for clean energy such a solar and wind was meant to impress allies in the Paris talks. President Barack Obama presented his final plan for carbon dioxide reduction targets on Mond…
