• Program 2014-15

President Obama’s Climate Plan: State Action, Grassroots Opportunities

Date: 

October 08, 2014

Time: 

6-8 pm

Venue: 

Bard College – 1150 Sixth Avenue (44 /45 Sts) 5th floor

President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, released in June 2013, detailed three areas of focus: Cut Carbon Pollution in America; Prepare the US for Impacts of Climate Change; and Lead International Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change. However, increasingly ominous scientific reports from the United Nations (UNEP l IPCC) and the dysfunction in the United States legislature seem to have morphed the President’s plan into more of a scramble toward sustainability.

Using the authority of the Clean Air Act, Obama’s EPA is moving forward with proposed regulations on global warming pollution from existing power plants. The EPA’s target is 17% reductions below 2006 levels by 2020, but the final outcome will be determined as the states actually move to implement the regulations. Today, citizen groups have an unprecedented opportunity to drive the state level dialog, and advocate for deeper emission cuts. This panel will examine the background for the latest EPA action, and the possible impacts regionally, nationally, and globally over the next few years.

Panelists:

Policy Faculty, Bard Center for Environmental Policy;
Administrator for EPA’s Region 2 Office in New York;
Director, Government Affairs, National Resources Defense Council;
Manager, State Regulatory Affairs, Con Edison;
State Policy Director, New York League of Conservation Voters;

Moderator:

Director, Bard Center for Environmental Policy