Obama to double-down on climate change
In a move being heralded as the “most significant action on climate change in American history”, US President Barack Obama is preparing to unveil his plan to turn the tables on climate change.
Expected to announce cap-and-trade schemes, Obama hopes to reduce as much as 25% of the carbon pollution currently spewing from the 1,600 power plants across the United States.
While Australia is considering dialing back its commitment to reducing carbon emissions, Obama hopes that his commitment to the US emission targets will give him leverage against heavy polluters like China and India.
China tops the list of country’s with the highest emission rates, almost double the US at 8,286,892 tonnes per year. As well as reducing emissions from electricity production, the country is limiting the number of new cars being registered and paying to upgrade older vehicles to be more energy efficient.
“I intend to make sure America is out front in a global framework to preserve our planet,” said Obama. “American influence is always stronger when we lead by example. We can not exempt ourselves from the rules that apply to everyone else.”
Consisting almost 40% of the US’s carbon emissions, power plants are the single highest contributor to the country’s emissions profile.
Still, he faces tough opposition from a hostile Republican party (and even some Democrats) who deny climate change completely, and have the funds at their disposal to blanket mainstream media with their opinions.
Although the EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, will strictly monitor the 25% target, individual states will be given autonomy as to how this is achieved. Methods ranging from closing older, less efficient plants to carbon sequestering to investing in wind and solar plants will all be acceptable.
Carbon emissions in the US has fallen to 1990s levels, due to a switch from goal generation to natural gas, investment in renewable energy technology and a reduction in electricity usage due to a downturn in the economy.
