Obama’s climate change plan will hit coal power and the economy, says ACCCE

Barack-Obama

Greentech Lead America: President Barack Obama’s climate change plan has got mixed response from the energy sector.

On June 25 Obama announced the climate change plan, outlining measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the development of clean energy technologies.

Three key objectives highlighted in his speech were: reduce carbon emission in the country, prepare the country to face the effects of global warming and lead global efforts to combat climate change. The President wants the Environmental Protection Agency to act to prevent carbon emission from power plants. This would mean stringent measures against coal-based facilities and industries.

In his first reaction to President’s proposed plan against coal-based industries, Robert M. Duncan, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), said, “If the Obama administration fails to recognize the environmental progress the industry has made and continues to adopt more regulations, coal power could cease to exist which would be devastating for our economy.”

“This is going to be a legacy issue for the President, a legacy of higher energy costs, lost jobs, and a shattered economy,” Duncan added.

Except the fossil fuel segment, the rest of the country is in favor of the climate policy, if reports are to believe.

Ralph B. Everett, president and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and Rodney Ellis, member of the Texas State Senate, said, “With the actions he announced today, President Obama has brought a new sense of urgency to addressing climate change and has set in motion the real work that needs to be done. His plan focuses on necessary actions to reduce climate change’s root causes, as well as a much-needed focus on helping our communities cope with the consequences that it may already be too late to stop entirely.”

However, considering the terrifying magnitude of the climate crisis the country is facing, the proposal is not big enough or fast enough to overcome these challenges, many believe.

“The president, like all of us, needs to be able to look across the dinner table at his children and know he’s doing all he can to ensure they inherit a planet that’s healthy and livable. This plan is a small step in the right direction, but certainly begs for something bigger and bolder,” said Bill Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, as told to LiveScience.

Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, offered the support of the industry to President’s efforts.

Resch said, “America’s solar energy industry stands ready to do our part to help fight climate change and usher in a new era of clean energy in America and around the world. Despite what some critics say, this isn’t a choice between clean energy and a robust economy. We can have both, and solar is showing how to make that possible.”

Mark Tercek, president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy, also recommended some important steps to deal with climate change such as putting a price on carbon; conserving forests and keeping the carbon they store out of the atmosphere by reducing deforestation; investing in research and development that can lead to discoveries applicable in other countries like China and India; and coping with the impacts of climate change by promoting the use of natural defenses.

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