Obama on Climate: We Need to Act

Speaking outside in the sweltering heat, President Obama unveiled his plan to circumvent a deadlocked Congress and fight climate change. The plan relies on the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions from both new and existing power plants. Obama also called for renewable-energy projects on public lands and federal facilities, as well as infrastructure improvements designed to prepare the U.S. for severe weather. At the international level, Obama wants to do away with subsidies for fossil fuels and work on treaties with other major polluters. Regarding Republicans who deny that climate change is an issue, Obama said: “We don’t have time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.”