Monday, August 26, 2013

An Obama Nation: President to Bypass Congress on Global Warming

Executive power baby.
From The Hill:

REGULATION NATION: Obama bypassing Congress on climate
The success of President Obama's second-term climate agenda hinges on a set of regulations now in the works at the Environmental Protection Agency.

His plan to combat global warming through new emissions standards and a shift toward increased renewable energy faces serious opposition from business groups, and Congress is steeling for battle.
 
But if the regulations survive the attacks — and subsequent legal challenges — they could amount to one of the president's most consequential initiatives, his supporters say.
“He’s doing it with one hand tied behind his back,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said in reference to opposition to the effort.

The centerpiece of Obama’s push is a set of regulations to limit greenhouse gas pollution from new and existing power plants, the source of about 40 percent of carbon emissions....MORE
From Bloomberg:
Obama Climate Plan No War on Coal Says Energy Secretary
...“This action has been applauded by many as the most significant step the president can take to reduce carbon emissions,” Moniz said in a speech at Columbia University in New York. “This directive has also been derided by some as an action that is tantamount to a ‘war on coal.’ Quite the contrary, it is preparing the way for coal to have potentially a place in the low-carbon world.”... 
...MORE