At long last, President Obama is making good on the promise he made during his first presidential campaign almost six years ago: to slow the effects of climate change on the planet. His proposed plan, which was announced on Monday, would nationally reduce carbon pollution from power plants about 30 perent from 2005 levels by 2030.
The means for accomplishing this goal, however, are much less straightforward.
The New York Times reports:
Rather than imposing a uniform standard for reducing power plant carbon emissions, the regulation unveiled on Monday offers the states flexibility to pick from a menu of policy options. But as with health care, the policy could lead to a patchwork of rules that frustrate businesses and invite resistance from states that oppose the policy.
Each state will be given a different pollution reduction target, which will be determined by their local economies and their current emission levels. But the states can decide by which means to achieve that target. Some of the options include shutting down coal plants, installing clean energy technology and joining cap-and-trade programs. Though Obama's policy has been met with some criticism, the Times points out that the president has the support on Capitol Hill to veto any opposing legislation.
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Mary Lorenzo is a Summer 2014 editorial intern.
