Obama Bypasses Congress To Curb Carbon Emissions

Just months after the World Health Organization (WHO) released an eye-opening report suggesting that climate change is real and happening now, President Obama proposed a series of new rules that aim to reduce the country's carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants.

The new rule, which is a joint effort between the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would reduce the carbon emissions from coal plants 30% by 2030. News of the President's bold new move to lower carbon emissions didn't come without criticism, however, particularly from the Republican party who believes it's an attack on the country's coal industry and not an effective or viable means to reduce the impact of climate change.

Most of the world's greenhouse gases come from coal-burning power plants, not cars and airplanes like many people believe. But the country's coal industry is also responsible for creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, reducing unemployment rates and stimulating the economy. The President's new plan to curb emissions would likely force some of the workers out of their jobs, and that's the main criticism people have with this rule.

So, why is President Obama taking action to reduce the country's carbon emissions? It all stems back to climate change, which an overwhelming majority of the world's most esteemed scientists believe is partly attributed to carbon emissions. When coal is burned for energy, it releases carbon dioxide into the air. This carbon lingers in the atmosphere where it creates an invisible blanket of insulation, preventing the Earth's warmth from escaping. This of course triggers a snowball effect as the warming temperatures melt the Earth's natural cooling system -- the polar ice caps.

The President also noted that the new carbon emissions rule would prevent 100,000 asthma attacks in the U.S. during Year One. Each year, millions of people -- children and adults, suffer from asthma attacks. Medical experts believe that air pollution is partly to blame for these attacks, as the concentrated pollutants irritate the respiratory system and contribute to a wide variety of disease and illness.

"For the sake of our families' health and our kids' future, we have a moral obligation to act on climate. When we do, we'll turn risks on climate into business opportunity. We'll spur innovation and investment, and we'll build a world-leading clean energy economy," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

How do you feel about the President's plan to curb carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants? Let us know in the comments section below!