Obama rolls up his sleeves and calls out coal in the fight against climate change

Michael O'Leary

"As President, as a father, and as an American I am here to say we need to act." ~President Obama

President Obama began his national address on climate change today by taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. Literally.

It wasn't a meaningless theatric. At Georgetown University in DC where Obama addressed thousands of students and the nation it was 92 degrees this afternoon - with the heat index hitting 96.

The metaphor sticks, of course. Today President Obama directed the EPA to limit carbon pollution from both new and existing power plants, the source of over 40% of the carbon pollution we create here in America.

The big loser in that low carbon diet: coal fired power plants.

It gets better...

On top of big domestic moves to reduce carbon pollution, the President also reached out for two big opportunities to keep climate change from getting worse internationally: The KeystoneXL tarsands pipeline and overseas coal fired power plants:

• "I'm calling for an end to public financing of new coal plants overseas."

• "Net effect of the [Keystone XL's] impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining if this pipeline will go forward."

Read President Obama's climate change policy summary here.

See the White House climate action infographic here.

Watch the President's complete address on the White House's YouTube site here.

By Michael O'Leary June 25, 2013