Pres. Obama to Unveil Plan to Address Climate Change
Media Contacts
Environment California
Los Angeles, CA – In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, record drought in many states, and wildfires in Colorado, Pres. Obama has announced he will unveil a climate action plan on Tuesday designed to cut the carbon pollution fueling global warming and advance clean energy solutions. Environment California and many other organizations applauded the announcement.
“California is already paying a price as global warming fuels extreme drought and wildfires,” said Michelle Kinman, clean energy advocate with Environment California. “Protecting our children from even more devastating consequences demands bold leadership. President Obama realizes this and we hope his plan will truly begin to safeguard our children’s future.”
One aspect of the plan that Environment California and others will be watching closely is how it addresses carbon pollution from power plants. Despite being the largest sources of the carbon pollution fueling global warming, power plants have no federal limits on the amount of carbon pollution they can spew into our air. The president’s plan could take a pivotal step toward changing that.
“President Obama’s climate plan should clean up the largest global warming polluters and advance clean energy solutions, to help protect Californians and future generations from more severe weather and other consequences of global warming,” said Kinman. “In addition to cleaning up carbon pollution from power plants, we will look for the president’s plan to advance energy efficiency measures and expand renewable energy—two critical steps toward getting the nation on track to a truly clean energy future.”
Residents of California have voiced support for Pres. Obama’s action, and more than 3.2 million Americans submitted public comments last year in support of the president setting limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
Left unchecked, global warming is likely to result in everything from more intense storms to more unhealthy air days here in California. Scientists have warned that time is short to make the necessary cuts in carbon pollution to protect future generations from the worst consequences of global warming.
Cities and states across the country have been successfully implementing climate action plans and renewable energy solutions. In 2006, California became the first state to adopt an economy-wide cap on global warming pollution; fully implementing this program—and ultimately moving to lower the cap on pollution further—is the most critical step for California on the statewide level. These programs have helped cut carbon pollution, and paved the way for Tuesday’s plan for federal action from Pres. Obama.
“Environment California, and our thousands of members and supporters stand ready to assist the president in taking ambitious steps to cut global warming pollution,” concluded Kinman.
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Environment California is a statewide nonprofit environmental advocacy organization working to protect California’s air, water and open spaces. More information can be found at www.environmentcalifornia.org.
