Obama and EPA Hope to See a 30% Decrease in Greenhouse Gas Emission by 2030

On Monday, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a plan to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants by 2030, hoping it will help he environment as well as the economy.

The "Clean Power Plan" proposal aims to fight climate change and promote a cleaner environment through reducing the amount of carbon pollutions, since the United States is a worldwide leader in the category. As promised in his latest State of the Union Address, Obama is spearheading the climate change/global warming issues to set a global precedent.

"Today's announcement marks the beginning of the second phase of the agency's outreach efforts. EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 120 days after publication in the Federal Register and will hold four public hearings on the proposed Clean Power Plan during the week of July 28 in the following cities: Denver, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Pittsburgh. Based on this input, EPA will finalize standards next June following the schedule laid out in the June 2013 Presidential Memorandum," the official report states.

The goals of the Clean Power Plan include: cutting carbon emissions from the power sector by 30% of the 2005 levels; reducing particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by 25%; saving the lives of those who suffer from premature deaths and illnesses due to air pollution; and increasing energy efficiency to make electricity bills cheaper.

On Saturday at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the president said that the new proposal will reduce air pollution, improve health, and spur a clean energy economy. He said that over $90 billion will be saved in both climate and health benefits costs by 2030. However, the Chamber of Commerce believes that consumer prices for electricity will increase, jobs will be lost, and economic growth will slow. Opponents assert that the dramatic cuts in carbon emissions will affect the coal business, resulting in losses of over 800,000 jobs.

Although that may be true, it's imperative that the Obama Administration fights to improve the world's environmental issues, or else we're likely to face further harmful repercussions.