News Roundup
‘BEIJING — Life expectancy is 5.5 years lower in northern China than in the south because of heavy air pollution, a new study examining 20 years of data has determined.’
via Pollution cuts life spans by 5.5 years in north China, study says – latimes.com.
‘India’s biggest solar power-producing state is seeking to cut the subsidized rate it pays to plants by 28 percent, joining governments from Spain to Greece backtracking on clean-energy support to lower costs.’
via India Risks Spain’s Solar Slump With Move to Cut Tariff – Bloomberg.
‘The US Chamber of Commerce was quick to denounce President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan as “punishing Americans with higher energy bills (and) fewer jobs.” But a new study finds the opposite—it says the policy will bring more jobs and lower electricity bills.’
‘Climate change seems like this complicated problem with a million pieces. But Henry Jacoby, an economist at MIT’s business school, says there’s really just one thing you need to do to solve the problem: Tax carbon emissions.’
via Economists Have A One-Page Solution To Climate Change : Planet Money : NPR.
‘In a speech on Tuesday, President Obama laid out a plan for reducing carbon emissions, directing the EPA to add new carbon limitations for coal plants that are already active — a move that opponents are likening to a “war on coal.”‘
via Coal exports have doubled during Obama’s so-called ‘war on coal’ – The Week.
‘PRESIDENT OBAMA’s announcement on Tuesday that he will use his executive authority to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions from existing power plants, and to finalize rules for plants that have yet to be built, is reason to celebrate — but also an occasion for mourning. The announcement reflects Congress’s refusal to pass serious laws to curb greenhouse-gas emissions…’
‘President Obama laid out an ambitious campaign to address climate change Tuesday, mapping a course that would bypass Congress to cut emissions from hundreds of coal-fired electric power plants and setting the stage for a possible rejection of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.’
via Obama outlines broad plan to curb climate change – latimes.com.
‘(Reuters) – When President Barack Obama weighed in on the Keystone XL pipeline controversy on Tuesday, his comments became a kind of Rorschach inkblot test for rival lobbies, reflecting their wishes for the fate of the long-delayed project.’
via Rivals read what they want in Obama Keystone remarks | Reuters.
‘(Reuters) – The White House on Tuesday released a plan to cut global carbon pollution and address the effects of climate change in three broad ways: cutting carbon pollution domestically, preparing the country to be resilient to climate impacts, and leading international efforts to target climate change.’
via Factbox – Highlights of Obama’s plan to cut carbon pollution | Reuters.
‘WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama tried to revive his stalled climate change agenda on Tuesday, promising new rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants and other domestic actions including support for renewable energy.’
via UPDATE 3-Obama takes on power plants as part of new climate plan | Reuters.