Speaking via live feed from the White House today, a visionary President Obama announced his administration’s new Clean Power Plan, which has been created to reverse climate change and help heal our world of the effects of global warming. The President joined Pope Francis in calling for global citizens and industry leaders to make immediate and sweeping changes in how we live, work and do business.
“There is such a thing as too late, when it comes to climate change,” the President commented, and pointed out that 14 of the hottest years in over 100 years of recorded history have occurred in the past 15 years.
Watch President Obama’s enthusiastically received speech:
In my lifetime, I can’t remember being so moved by a president’s speech. We look to society’s top leaders to protect and guide us, but so often they fail us instead. Today, Obama’s demeanour and announcement visibly demonstrated that he completely has our backs and I am so grateful to him.
I'm sure we can greatly thank Sasha & Malia Obama & what they bring home from school for @POTUS' concern about environment #actonclimate #p2
— Kimi Wei (@kimiwei) August 3, 2015
The President also laughed at Big Money’s false claims that environmental protections will hurt most the poor and vulnerable of our country. President Obama pointed out that neighbors in social and environmental justice communities are in reality, those being hardest hit by the impacts of fossil fuel pollution and the effects of climate change and stand to benefit most from the changes outlined in his Clean Power Plan.
If you care about low-income & minority communities give them help they need & stop trying to rob them of healthcare ~ @POTUS #actonclimate
— Kimi Wei (@kimiwei) August 3, 2015
The renewable incentive program announced by POTUS over the weekend is a pollution trading scheme that will operate mainly during the years before 2022. Environmental Justice and the Global South have consistently opposed these kinds of market based schemes as false solutions to the climate crisis, condemning their countries and communities to ongoing genocide. These half measures also provide cover for extending the initial compliance period for emissions reductions by 2 an additional years, which is obviously time we do not have to waste. Also note that the plan encourages states to create or join trading programs and may, if states refuse to make their own plans, force states into pollution trading programs. Make no mistake, this plan is wholly inadequate given what the science demands of us, and these last minute reforms are being made at the behest of the oil and gas industry and their partners in crime on wall street.