Obama's Laser Focus on Climate Change

In a speech at Georgetown University, the president will lay out what the administration is billing as a comprehensive plan built on three pillars: cutting the nation's carbon pollution, leading global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change. As part of that effort, Mr. Obama on Tuesday will sign a presidential memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to start engaging with states, the private sector and other stakeholders to set carbon pollution standards for both new and existing carbon power plants.

President Barack Obama started off his speech on energy policy today by ironically taking a shot a political campaigning, saying slogans like "drill, baby, drill" are not substantial ways to move forward. Interesting coming from a President who recently told the country of Brazil to drill so the U.S. could become one of their best customers.

 Obama played the political card by mentioning the option of drilling for oil in the United States in order to look more moderate on energy policy, but the majority of his speech was focused on demonizing oil and auto companies that make SUVs. The President encouraged policy that moves the U.S. away from oil no matter what the cost. His goal: to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025.Obama’s speech also hinted at more government regulation of the auto industry by requiring higher fuel efficiency standards for things like tractors, dump trucks and other vehicles used for construction projects and farming.

A key point in Obama’s speech came when he told students that they had the power to control the types of vehicles on the road, that they need to purchase electric vehicles in order to make a difference, inadvertently making the case for a freer market in which consumers are able to make choices to better their lives. He didn't mention the stunning lack of market demand for electric vehicles.

-Reduce U.S. oil imports one-third by 2025

-Identifying underdeveloped resources

-Securing access to dicerse and reliable sources of energy

-Increasing bioenergy production, building a new international framework for nuclear energy

-Expanding biofuels markets by breaking ground on at least four commercial scale cellulosic or advanced bio-refineries over the next two years

-Putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025

-Investing in advanced vehicles, fuel technologies, high speed rail and public transit

-Generating 80 percent of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2035-including renewable energy sources like wind, solar, bio mass, hydro power, nuclear power, natural gas and clean coal

-Weatherize 600,000 low income homes through recovery act investments

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Under pressure from environmentalists, President Barack Obama’s new plan to tackle global warming relies on executive power to corral power plants.

The president calls for the Environmental Protection Agency to “expeditiously” set limits on carbon dioxide emissions for new and existing power plants, a move that will be hailed by environmentalists and decried as debilitating by the struggling coal industry.

“To accomplish these goals, President Obama is issuing a Presidential Memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency to work expeditiously to complete carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants,” states the Obama plan. “This work will build on the successful first-term effort to develop greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.”