Obama Prepares To Shift Focus Onto Climate Change

Get ready...

U.S. President Barack Obama will soon announce a set of proposals aimed at fulfilling his second-term promise to curb the growing threat of climate change.

Heather Zichal, the president's chief advisor on energy and climate change, told a forum in Washington Wednesday that Obama plans to issue a series of executive orders to accelerate clean energy development and boost the energy efficiency of appliances and buildings.  

Zichal also said the Environmental Protection Agency will use its authority under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants.  The EPA has proposed regulations on carbon emissions for new power plants.