President Obama and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy announced on August 3 the final version of the Clean Power Plan, which establishes national standards to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
The revised plan takes into account input EPA received during the public comment period for the original proposal. The final plan aims to lower carbon emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030, up from 30% in the original proposal. It will also provide more flexibility to states to choose how to meet carbon standards.
EPA says that reducing carbon emissions will have significant health benefits. It estimates that the Clean Power Plan will prevent 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks, and 300,000 days of missed work and school.
According to the National Climate Assessment, climate change leads to issues such as poor air quality, extreme weather events, and spread of foodborne and vector-borne disease, which threaten human health. But it says that prevention efforts can help to reduce these impacts and that early action provides the largest benefits.
Learn more about the Clean Power Plan from the following videos:
- President Obama and Administrator Gina McCarthy discussed the final Clean Power Plan at a White House Event. Watch the announcement as well as a short video about the importance of the Clean Power Plan.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released “The Clean Power Plan Protects Our Health & Our Air” featuring two North Carolina families affected by asthma and concerned about how climate change impacts their health.
