Obama unveils major climate change proposal

The Obama administration unveiled a major climate change plan on Sunday aimed at a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s coal-burning power plants. On Monday, President Barack Obama started selling it to the public at a White House event.

“Today after working with states and cities and power companies, the EPA is setting the first ever nationwide standards to end the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from power plants,” Obama said Monday from the White House, adding shortly thereafter “Washington is starting to catch up with the vision of the rest of the country. “

The “Clean Power Plan” is the final version of regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, which President Barack Obama called “the biggest most important step we’ve ever taken to combat climate change,” in a video released by the White House on social media Saturday night.

“We’re the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it,” Obama said on Monday.

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Under the plan, the administration will require states to meet specific carbon emission reduction standards, based on their individual energy consumption. The plan also includes an incentive program for states to get a head start on meeting standards on early deployment of renewable energy and low-income energy efficiency.

“Power plants are the single biggest source of harmful carbon pollution that contributes to climate change,” Obama said in the video. “Until now, there have been no federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution plants dump in the air.”

QAQORTOQ, GREENLAND - JULY 30: Calved icebergs from the nearby Twin Glaciers are seen floating on the water on July 30, 2013 in Qaqortoq, Greenland. Boats are a crucial mode of transportation in the country that has few roads. As cities like Miami, New York and other vulnerable spots around the world strategize about how to respond to climate change, many Greenlanders simply do what theyve always done: adapt. 'Were used to change, said Greenlander Pilu Neilsen. 'We learn to adapt to whatever comes. If all the glaciers melt, well just get more land. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Even before the rule was announced, many states announced plans to fight it, including some vows to take the administration to court over the new rules. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged states not to comply with the plan in a letter to all 50 governors.

Critics also said that the plan will bring unwelcome increases in electricity prices.

“This plan is all pain and no gain,” said Luke Popovich, vice president of communications for the National Mining Association. “That’s why state leaders across the country are coming to the same conclusion – that we should not sacrifice our power system to an unworkable plan built on a faulty interpretation of the law.”

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In a conference call with the press, Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the plan would cost a total of $8.4 billion with total benefits expected to be $34 billion to $54 billion.

“Some special interest critics will tell you that it can’t be done,” McCarthy said on Sunday. “They’ll say we have to focus on the economy at the expense of the environment. They’ll tell you EPA’s plan will turn the lights off and send utility bills through the roof but they are wrong.”

A multi-million dollar campaign backed by the energy industry has sought to debunk the science of climate change, but polls show most Americans believe the planet is warming.

Coal supplied 37% of U.S. electricity in 2012, compared to 30% from natural gas, 19% from nuclear power plants, 7% from hydropower sources such as dams and 5% from renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

EPA officials have conceded in the past that some of the dirtiest power plants now operating, such as older coal-fired plants, will end up shuttered as the nation shifts its reliance from traditional fossil fuel sources to cleaner alternatives.

Three hurricanes are spinning in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. This image shows the water vapor. This is the first time there have been three active hurricanes in the eastern or central Pacific this season, according to NASA. From left the storms are: Hurricane Kilo, Hurricane Ignacio and Hurricane Jimena. Ignacio prompted a tropical storm watch for portions of Hawaii on August 30.

Tropical Storm Erika moves over the Dominican Republic on August 28, 2015. The storm caused devastation on the Caribbean island of Dominica, leaving at least 12 people dead and more than 20 missing. Florida issued a state of emergency as the storm moved toward the South Florida coast.

Hurricane Danny can be seen spinning in the Atlantic on August 22, 2015, in this satellite image from the NASA-NOAA GOES Project.

Two typhoons, Typhoon Goni and Super Typhoon Atsani, roil over the Pacific in August 2015. Atsani became a super typhoon (equivalent of a Category 4 or 5 storm) on August 19 as it churned northeast of Guam and Saipan.

NASA space station astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted this photo of Danny on August 20 just after Danny was classified as the first hurricane in the Atlantic in 2015.

A dark plume of smoke drifts over the Bohai Sea off the east coast of China. The source of the smoke appears to be industrial fires caused by explosions at a port in Tianjin, China. The streams of light gray smoke in the image likely were caused by wildfires in eastern China. NASA's Terra satellite captured the images at 2:30 Universal Time (10:30 a.m. local time) on August 13, 2015.

The crew of the International Space Station spotted Typhoon Soudeloron on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, as the storm moved through the western Pacific. You can see two Russian spacecraft hanging below the space station: The Soyuz TMA-17M (left) and the Progress 60 (right) cargo craft. Soudelor became the strongest storm on the planet so far this year, with peak winds at 180 mph (290 kph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

A wall of dust blows north from Sudan toward southern Egypt. This image was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on August 6.

Large wildfires charred more than 6 million acres in the western U.S. in early August That's nearly 2 million more than the 10-year average. About 80% of the burned area was in remote forests in Alaska, but large fires also scorched parts of Oregon, Washington and northern California. NASA's Aqua satellite took this image of wildfires burning in Oregon and California on August 5. Red outlines indicate the hot spots.

Ash and volcanic gases rise from the Mt. Raung volcano's caldera and drift northwest on the Indonesian island of Java. This image was captured by the Landsat 8 satellite on July 27. Mount Raung erupted at least 13 times in the past 25 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism program. The most recent eruption has been going for about four weeks. Ash has forced authorities to temporarily cancel flights and close airports.

Algae blooms create swirls of green in western Lake Erie in this image taken July 28 by the Landsat 8 satellite. NOAA scientists predicted that the 2015 season for harmful algal blooms would be severe in western Lake Erie and possibly affect water safety. The blooms thrive when exposed to agricultural runoff, sunlight and warm temperatures.

Smoke from fires near the shoreline of Russia's Lake Baikal was captured by NASA's Aqua satellite on July 27. The red spots show where fires were most active. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, but its water levels have dropped in recent months, according to the Reuters news agency.

Alaska's Interagency Coordination Center said that 4,748,841 acres in the state had burned in wildfires by July 30. That acreage is enough to make 2015 fourth on the list of years with the most area burned. The record was set in 2004, when 6,590,140 acres burned. The town of Tanana was hardest-hit this year, with about 496,000 acres burned -- that's an area about half the size of Rhode Island. Many of Tanana's 300 residents left in June. The Landsat 8 satellite took this false-color image of the fire-scarred area on July 24, 2015. Burned forest appears brown and unburned forest is green.

Slow-moving Typhoon Nangka made landfall near Muroto on the Japanese island of Shikoku on July 16. The storm became a typhoon on July 4 and traveled nearly 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) across the Pacific Ocean. As the storm closed in, nearly 4,000 residents of Kochi Prefecture were urged to evacuate.

When astronauts look down at Earth from the International Space Station, they use coastlines to help them figure out which part of the planet they're flying over. This photo was taken by a crew member on the space station on June 6. It shows coastal lagoons with rounded islands along the Indian Ocean coastline of Western Australia. You can also see square, white ponds of the salt-extraction industry. This stretch of Australian coast has had more direct hits by cyclones than any other place on the Western Australia's coastline.

A fire raging in California's San Bernardino National Forest had scorched thousands of acres by early July. NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite took this false-color image of a burned area spanning 49 square miles (127 square kilometers) on July 3. The burned areas appear dark red because they're reflecting shortwave infrared light.

Pilanesberg National Park in North West Province, South Africa, is located in one of the world's largest and best-preserved alkaline ring dike complexes. The circular features were created by an ancient volcano. This image was taken by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite on June 19. Most of the streams that run through the valleys have dried up, but man-made dams have trapped water for the park's wildlife. The structure sits about 300 to 1,600 feet (100 to 500 meters) above the surrounding landscape.

Mt. Raung is seen spewing ash and volcanic gases in this image taken on July 12 by NASA's Aqua satellite. The eruption forced hundreds of flights to and from Bali and other regional airports to be canceled. The ash clouds went as high as 20,000 feet (6 kilometers) into the air.

Aqua satellite took this image of sea ice on the eastern coast of Greenland on July 16. The swirls of ice are caused by winds and currents that steer the ice, according to NASA.

Fires have burned thousands of acres in Alaska. NASA's Terra satellite took this photo of smoke of smoke and haze over Alaska on July 12. Fires are outlined in red. The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center says about 300 fires were actively burning when the image was taken.

Fires in western Canada sent thick smoke over Vancouver and adjacent areas of British Columbia in early July. Some residents wore face masks for protection and health officials warned Women's World Cup fans against outdoor activities. NASA's Terra satellite captured these images of the smoke July 5 and 6. The smoke almost obscures the Strait of Georgia and southern Vancouver Island.

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The impending battle ahead could be seen as a major legacy issue for Obama as he transitions into the last quarter of his presidency.

“There are few issues more important to the president,” a senior administration official said, adding that Obama is likely to make the case that climate change is a moral, economic and national security obligation in the months ahead.

The news of the President’s plan was hailed on Sunday by Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley but was deeply criticized by Republican candidates.

“It will make the cost of electricity higher for millions of Americans,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, said Sunday at the Freedom Partners Summit in California.

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“If there’s some billionaire somewhere who is a pro-environmental, cap-and-trade person, yeah, they can probably afford for their electric bill to go up a couple of hundred dollars,” Rubio said. “But if you’re a single mom in Tampa, Florida, and your electric bill goes up by $30 a month, that is catastrophic.”

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, also running for president, said on Sunday climate change “will not be solved by grabbing power from states or slowly hollowing out our economy.”

“The real challenge is how do we grow and prosper in order to foster more game-changing innovations and give us the resources we need to solve problems like this one,” he said.

Expecting a tough fight, the White House will launch an “all-out climate push” by the President and cabinet officials to fan out to sell the plan. In the coming weeks, Obama will travel to Nevada to speak at the National Clean Energy Summit and later become the first sitting President to go to the Alaskan Arctic.