U.S. Public Support to Climate Change Initiatives?: Setting Stricter Carbon Dioxide Emission Limits on Power Plants

Introduction

Climate system change is a policy issue that is gaining attention across interest groups, industries, consumers, and policymakers. The greenhouse effect has been linked to global warming and climate change events (U.S. Energy Information Administration, June 2, 2014; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], July, 2014). The reported negative effects of this change are broad, such as inland flooding, new water borne illnesses and disease, food insecurity, limited access to drinking water and disrupted livelihoods (EPA, June, 2014, p. 179). At varying rates, climate change has been experienced across the United States with the upper Midwest and Alaska particularly affected by temperature increases (Pew Research Center, May 9, 2014). In all, slowing the climate change requires a substantial and sustained decrease of greenhouse gas emissions (EPA, April, 2014; EPA, June 2014, p. 179) and a collective public effort across all sectors. The EPA has not been alone in voicing concerns over the impact of greenhouse gas emissions; global efforts to maintain the integrity of the environment have been ongoing. The World Health Organization (WHO) who passed a 2015 resolution declaring air quality as the leading environmental risk (World Health Organization, May 26, 2015), has been pushing for stronger cooperation between governmental sectors on air pollution policy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICPP) has called upon countries, including the U.S., to prioritize developing policy solutions that significantly reduce greenhouse emissions (ICPP, 2014a, 2014b).

Governmental response by the United States, at least, has primarily consisted of legislation that could be described as incremental, administrative, and largely regulatory. One environmental threat to come under increased scrutiny under the Obama Administration has been carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating power plants using fossil fuels such as coal which are reported to largely contribute to the environmental greenhouse gas (GHG) effects (EPA, April, 2014, p. 2-1). In June 2014, the Obama Administration advanced its GHG reduction goal with a policy (Climate Action Plan) targeting power plants. It reinforces the use of cleaner technologies for electricity generation, and devolves more responsibility to the EPA to develop pollution standards, including those for carbon, for both new and existing power plants (Executive Office of the President, June 2013, p. 6). This latest effort to reduce GHG effects has been met with both support and opposition among varying stakeholders. Slowing climate change requires a substantial and sustained decrease of GHGs (EPA, April, 2014; EPA, June 2014, p. 179) and a collective public effort across all sectors. Studies show U.S. public and political response to government policy initiatives to be mixed, but overall, favoring government intervention. Although Americans see global climate change less important than other countries (Pew Research Center, January 27, 2014), about 65% of Americans reported favoring “stricter emissions limits on power plants in order to address climate change” (Pew Research Center, June 2, 2014). The extent to which government action is taken to protect the environment, including efforts to reduce GHG, is predicated on a number of factors including the response of competing stakeholders. This chapter explores the impact of one group of stakeholders (the American public) on stricter emission limits on power plants as part of the Obama Administration’s response to climate change concerns.