Vanderbilt Political Review Fall 2013 | Page 19

FALL 2013 President could make huge progress by incentivizing developing nations to invest in clean energy moving forward. What is the Climate Action Plan, exactly? The President’s remarks at Georgetown outline three main objectives. The first aims to “cut carbon pollution in America” and sets a target of reducing American carbon emissions to seventeen percent below 2005 levels by 2020. This objective also includes a pledge to double renewable energy usage – which accounted for 11.7% of the United States’ total usage in 2012 – in that same timeframe. Though the Climate Action Plan points out that the United States doubled energy production from wind, solar, and geothermal sources during the President’s first term, the GOP has called the plan’s extensive use of federal agencies and raising of fuel economy and energy efficiency standards “an attack on the middle class.” While somewhat hyperbolic, these criticisms are not entirely baseless. Though the Administration claims that the tougher fuel economy standards will save the average driver $8,000 over the lifetime of a vehicle, a study by the Center for Automotive Research estimates that if industries meet the Obama administration’s mark of 54.5 mpg by 2025, a new car will cost the average buyer $9,000 more than it would today. Furthermore, the study claims, the new standards could reduce car sales by 5.5 million and ?????????????????????)???????????9???????!??????Q??????M????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????I??????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????A??????=?????e???????????????)Q?????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????()=5MQ% )????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????1???????e????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%???????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)A??????=?????e???????????????)????T?L??????????????????P??????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????Q???????????????????A??????=?????e?)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)M??????????????????????????????)A??????=?????e? ???????????A???)??????Q?????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????Q???U?????M???d??????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????)???????????????????????5??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?? ??????????????q????t????????)??????????????]?????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????5??????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????q?????????t)A???????????=?????e?????????()?????()9U5 IL((?()??????) ?????)????????????????)??????????????)?????((???()???????????)????????????)???U?????M???)????????????()9?????????)?????????)?????????((??)???????(??((0