With the President unveiling his big climate change push there's been some discussion among environmentalists and scientists if it goes far enough. The consensus seems to be that it doesn't go all the way to where we want to go but it certainly gets us started in the right direction.
"Climate experts say the president’s plan would help move the United States toward its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade. But they say actually meeting the goal will be an uphill battle, especially because it could take as long as five years to see results from the regulations."
"Even the most unprecedented strides toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions pale next to the scope of the problem facing the planet. Still, environmental activists say Tuesday’s announcements will be a big deal. They’re thrilled Obama is finally refocusing on climate change in his second term."
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/obama-climate-energy-effort-not-enough-93298.html?hp=l4_b3
The trouble is that the things that must be done to get us towards the 17 percent target on green emissions require legislation which unfortunately would necessarily include the GOP House. Yet the President is very committed to both doing something about climate change-and developing green alternative energies. Few have appreciated the green initiatives of the fiscal stimulus in 2009-ARRA-or its creation of the new agency to deal with alternative energy and infrastructure-the ARPA-E.
http://arpa-e.energy.gov/
What Obama is doing is focusing on what he can do himself. The main lever of his climate change push will be necessarily the executive action.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/25/the-morning-plum-with-new-climate-push-obama-accepts-reality-of-broken-gop/
So the President can't get all the way there with executive action but he can get a good portion of the way and, it's his only option. This climate change push is also connected to the demand by Harry Reid and the Democrats that the GOP confirm the President's executive branch nominees or it's going to be the nuclear option. One of these nominees is to head the EPA.
In Obama's speech today, some like the speech some didn't, so much. One who didn't was West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin who claims the President has declared 'war on coal.'
"Obama called on curbing carbon emissions, in part by pushing the development of "clean coal" technology and encouraging the use of natural gas, in a Georgetown University speech earlier today."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gore-calls-obama-speech-best-address-on-climate
I like this as well as it acknowledges what the President already did in his first term-not many do:
"Following the important pledges he made in both his inaugural address and State of the Union speech earlier this year, and the historic gains in renewable energy and fuel efficiency that the President delivered in his first term, the policy changes he announced today represent important steps forward in the battle to halt catastrophic climate disruption. Most importantly, President Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to establish regulations on the amount of global warming pollution existing fossil fuel plants can pour into our atmosphere."
http://blog.algore.com/2013/06/statement_on_president_obamas_1.html
Greg Sargent has a good synopsis of Obama's speech: the President explains saving the planet as sensible centrism. This makes sense as the Democrats are the sensible centrist party. Here is some of the meat in Obama's speech. Yes he will rule out the XL Pipeline if it does increase carbon emissions:
"Obama rolled out all the proposals he was expected to announce, and in a surprise, also announced that he would not approve the Keystone XL pipeline if it is found to increase carbon emissions. Here’s the key bit from the speech:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/25/obama-makes-aggressive-pitch-for-common-sense-government-regulation/
The GOP playbook never changes. When you try to discuss environmental issues just claim it's dirty hippies running amok and that it will kill jobs. The President did a great job of pushing back against these smears today.
"Climate experts say the president’s plan would help move the United States toward its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade. But they say actually meeting the goal will be an uphill battle, especially because it could take as long as five years to see results from the regulations."
"Obama “clearly is right to move ahead and do as much as possible,” said Rachel Cleetus, senior climate economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We are going to need more, though.”
"Even the most unprecedented strides toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions pale next to the scope of the problem facing the planet. Still, environmental activists say Tuesday’s announcements will be a big deal. They’re thrilled Obama is finally refocusing on climate change in his second term."
“Really, this is a moment that has been 20 years in the making, and most of the last 20 years unfortunately has not been well spent,” said David Hawkins, director of climate programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/obama-climate-energy-effort-not-enough-93298.html?hp=l4_b3
The trouble is that the things that must be done to get us towards the 17 percent target on green emissions require legislation which unfortunately would necessarily include the GOP House. Yet the President is very committed to both doing something about climate change-and developing green alternative energies. Few have appreciated the green initiatives of the fiscal stimulus in 2009-ARRA-or its creation of the new agency to deal with alternative energy and infrastructure-the ARPA-E.
http://arpa-e.energy.gov/
What Obama is doing is focusing on what he can do himself. The main lever of his climate change push will be necessarily the executive action.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/25/the-morning-plum-with-new-climate-push-obama-accepts-reality-of-broken-gop/
So the President can't get all the way there with executive action but he can get a good portion of the way and, it's his only option. This climate change push is also connected to the demand by Harry Reid and the Democrats that the GOP confirm the President's executive branch nominees or it's going to be the nuclear option. One of these nominees is to head the EPA.
In Obama's speech today, some like the speech some didn't, so much. One who didn't was West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin who claims the President has declared 'war on coal.'
"Obama called on curbing carbon emissions, in part by pushing the development of "clean coal" technology and encouraging the use of natural gas, in a Georgetown University speech earlier today."
“The regulations the President wants to force on coal are not feasible. And if it’s not feasible, it’s not reasonable,” said Manchin, who represents a significant amount of West Virginia coal industry, in a statement. “It’s clear now that the President has declared a war on coal. It’s simply unacceptable that one of the key elements of his climate change proposal places regulations on coal that are completely impossible to meet with existing technology."
No doubt, this is not surprising with Manchin coming from coal country as he does. Of course, there is disagreement to say the least whether 'clean coal' isn't actually an oxymoron.
Someone who did like the President's speech was Al Gore, certainly one of my favorite environmentalists. If you haven't you really should check out his book. He is such a knowledgeable guy:
So one of the most environmentally conscious people out there had this to say about the President's speech:
"Former Vice President Al Gore, perhaps America's best-known environmental champion,praised President Barack Obama's speech Tuesday in which he detailed proposals to combat climate change."
"This was a terrific and historic speech, by far the best address on climate by any president ever," Gore wrote on his blog.
"Gore said that the strategy outlined by Obama "will bolster U.S. credibility and moral authority in negotiations with other countries."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gore-calls-obama-speech-best-address-on-climate
I like this as well as it acknowledges what the President already did in his first term-not many do:
"Following the important pledges he made in both his inaugural address and State of the Union speech earlier this year, and the historic gains in renewable energy and fuel efficiency that the President delivered in his first term, the policy changes he announced today represent important steps forward in the battle to halt catastrophic climate disruption. Most importantly, President Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to establish regulations on the amount of global warming pollution existing fossil fuel plants can pour into our atmosphere."
http://blog.algore.com/2013/06/statement_on_president_obamas_1.html
Greg Sargent has a good synopsis of Obama's speech: the President explains saving the planet as sensible centrism. This makes sense as the Democrats are the sensible centrist party. Here is some of the meat in Obama's speech. Yes he will rule out the XL Pipeline if it does increase carbon emissions:
"Obama rolled out all the proposals he was expected to announce, and in a surprise, also announced that he would not approve the Keystone XL pipeline if it is found to increase carbon emissions. Here’s the key bit from the speech:
What you’ll hear from the special interests and their allies in Congress is that this will kill jobs and crush the economy, and basically end free enterprise as we know it. And the reason I know you’ll hear those things is because that’s what they said every time America sets clear rules and better standards for our air and our water and our children’s health. And every time, they’ve been wrong.For example, in 1970, when we decided through the Clean Air Act to do something about the smog that was choking our cities…some of the sme doomsayers were saying, `new pollution standards will descimate the auto industry. Guess what? Didn’t happen. Our air got cleaner. In 1990 when we decided to do something about acid rain, they said our electricity bills would go up, the lights would go off, the country would suffer a `quiet death.’ None of it happened. Except we cut acid rain dramatically.The problem with all these tired excuses for inaction is that it suggests a fundamental lack of faith in American business and American ingenuity. These critics seem to think that when we ask our businesses to innovate, and reduce pollution, and lead, they can’t or they won’t do it. They’ll just give up and quit. But in America, we know that’s not true. Look at our history. When we restricted cancer causing chemicals in plastics, and leaded fuel in our cars, it didn’t end the plastics industry or the oil industry. American chemists came up with better substitutes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/25/obama-makes-aggressive-pitch-for-common-sense-government-regulation/
The GOP playbook never changes. When you try to discuss environmental issues just claim it's dirty hippies running amok and that it will kill jobs. The President did a great job of pushing back against these smears today.
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