Obama announces new Clean Power Plan
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The reading
The U.S. president Barack Obama has announced a new plan to combat climate change. It is called the Clean Power Plan. President Obama said it was an important project to protect America's economy and health. He wants to reduce the amount of electricity provided by power plants that use coal and move towards a greater use of renewable energies. He said the goal is for power plants to cut their carbon emissions by 32 per cent below 2005 levels by the year 2030. Obama told journalists at the White House that: "This is our moment to get this right and leave something better for our kids." He warned that: "If we don't get climate change right, we may not be able to reverse it."
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President Obama said the Clean Power Plan would be good for the health of Americans. It will stop 3,600 premature deaths each year. It will also mean 1,700 fewer heart attacks and a reduction of 300,000 missed work and school days because of sickness. Obama said America could save up to $34 billion a year on its health budget. However, not everyone in the USA thinks the plan is a good idea. Possible future president Jeb Bush said it would, "throw countless people out of work, and increase everyone's energy prices". Another opponent, Governor Scott Walker, agreed. He said the plan should be called the "Costly Power Plan". He said: "It will cost hard-working Americans jobs and raise their energy rates."
Sources:
- http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/08/03/obama-climate-change-hillary-clinton-jeb-bush/31049443/
- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/04/us/obama-unveils-plan-to-sharply-limit-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html?_r=0
- http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-to-unveil-plan-to-cut-carbon-emissions-from-power-production/2895453.html
