The World Today with Eleanor Hall
An hour of current affairs background and debate from Australia and the world every Monday to Friday, 12:05 pm, ABC Local Radio and Radio National.
Listen to Wednesday's program
The World Today is a comprehensive current affairs program which backgrounds, analyses, interprets and encourages debate on events and issues of interest and importance to all Australians.
Search The World Today
The full story...
Obama facing staunch opposition over ambitious Clean Power Plan
Mandie Sami reported this story on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 12:35:21
| MP3 download
ELEANOR HALL: Now to the United States, where president Barack Obama has announced what he called the nation's "most important step ever" in tackling climate change.
In a move already generating anger within the electricity sector, the president has imposed the first limits on carbon emissions from US power stations.
Power plant operators will now have to curb their emissions by one third on 2005 levels within 15 years.
The regulations are also intended to drive a shift to renewable energy.
And president Obama has challenged other global leaders to step up to confront what he described as the "greatest threat to the world".
Mandie Sami has our report.
MANDIE SAMI: The US president Barack Obama didn't mince his words.
Climate Change, he said, is the biggest threat to the future of the planet and the time to take action is now.
BARACK OBAMA: We've taken on some of the toughest challenges of our time. But I'm convinced that no challenge poses a great threat to our future and future generations than a changing climate.
MANDIE SAMI: American power plants account for about 40 per cent of US emissions of carbon dioxide which is the most common green house has that contributes to climate change.
To tackle that threat, President Obama says the US will aim to cut carbon emissions from the power sector by 32 per cent by 2030; that's compared with 2005 levels.
BARACK OBAMA: Levels of carbon dioxide which heats up our atmosphere are higher than they have been in 800,000 years.
2014 was the planet's warmest year on record. And we've been setting a lot of records in terms of warmest years over that last decade. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risk to our national security.
As one of America's governors has said we're the first generation to feel the impact of the climate change and the last generation that can do something about it. And that's why I committed the United States to leading the world on this challenge. Because I believe there is such a thing as being too late. I don't want millions of people's lives disrupted and make this world more dangerous because we didn't do something about it.
That would be shameful of us. This is our moment to get this right.
MANDIE SAMI: The measures will place significant emphasis on wind, solar power and other renewable energy sources.
One of America's key environment groups, The Natural Resources Defense Council, has welcomed the announcement.
The director of its Clean Air And Climate Program, David Doniger, says it's a huge step towards securing a successful global agreement on reducing emissions.
DAVID DONIGER: This is a historic announcement because it's the first time that the United States has put any limits on the carbon pollution from our power plants. And this action is going to protect people now and it's going to protect people in the future.
MANDIE SAMI: The UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has also praised the US president's plan calling it "visionary leadership", something he says is needed ahead of negotiations on a global climate change deal that are due to take place in Paris at the end of this year.
Stephane Dujarric is a UN spokesmam.
STEPHANE DUJARRIC: We believe that this plan shows the United States' determination to address global warming while also saving money and growing the economy.
The secretary-general appreciates president Obama's strong, personal leadership on climate change and president Obama's leadership by example is essential for bringing other key countries on board and securing a universal, durable and meaningful agreement in Paris this December.
MANDIE SAMI: But the reaction hasn't all been positive.
Luke Popovich is from the National Mining Association.
LUKE POPOVICH: It's the biggest losers of this plan is not going to be the coal industry that we represent or the fossil energy producers; it's going to be the American consumers because they're going to pay more.
MANDIE SAMI: The financial cost of power is also a concern to Nick Loris, who is a senior research fellow for energy environment at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
NICK LORIS: These regulations really will drive up energy costs. When 80 per cent of our energy needs are met through carbon-emitting conventional fuels, coal being a big part of it, that's going to drive up energy costs or families and businesses.
What president Obama didn't mention is how little we get for these regulations. You're talking about a change in the Earth's temperature that is almost too small to measure. So I see these regulations as all economic pain and no real climate benefit.
MANDIE SAMI: That argument has been rejected by Elliot Diringer, the executive vice president of the Centre for Climate and Energy Soloutions which is an independent non-profit organisation.
ELLIOT DIRINGER: I think what the president announced today is something that's demanded by the science and frankly by the law, and is long overdue.
The risks are real, we're feeling them; they are here and now impacts and the president also underscored the economic opportunity that this presents.
Independent analysis, in fact, shows that the average energy cost to the American household will decline. While rates may be higher, we'll see increase energy efficiency so the monthly bill will actually be lower.
This is an opportunity to modernise our economy and our energy infrastructure. It's an opportunity not a threat.
ELEANOR HALL: That's Elliot Diringer, the executive vice president of the Washington-based Center for Climate and Energy Solutions ending Mandie Sami's report.
More to add? Alert us »
Print this story »
Email a friend »
Share on Facebook »
Share on Twitter »
Click an image to enlarge
Keating reflects on Rudd's election in '07
Play MP3 of Keating reflects on Rudd's election in '07 (736.728 minutes)
PREVIOUS TUESDAY MP3
PREVIOUS MONDAY MP3
PREVIOUS FRIDAY MP3
PREVIOUS THURSDAY MP3
PREVIOUS WEDNESDAY MP3
How a death can mould a health reform crusader
Subscribe to our Daily or Story podcast.
All About Podcasting
Correspondents Report
Program Websites RADIO - Asia Pacific - Background Briefing - Go Asia Pacific - NewsRadio - Sunday Profile TV - 7.30 - Asia Pacific Focus - Australian Story - Behind The News - Foreign Correspondent - Four Corners - Inside Business - Insiders - ABC Investigations - Landline - Lateline - Lateline Business - Offsiders
©2010 ABC
ABC Careers
ABC Contacts