President Obama Unveils New Action Plan for Climate Change

Obama tackles pollution and more in new report.

Going (and Staying) Green - President Obama on Tuesday rolled out a new action plan geared at reducing carbon pollution, preparing the U.S. for the impacts of climate change and leading international efforts to address it. Keep reading for highlights from his plan, and click here for the full report. — Britt Middleton  (Photo: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

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Going (and Staying) Green - President Obama on Tuesday rolled out a new action plan geared at reducing carbon pollution, preparing the U.S. for the impacts of climate change and leading international efforts to address it. Keep reading for highlights from his plan, and click here for the full report. — Britt Middleton  (Photo: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

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Power Plants: The Facts - Power plants are the largest major source of carbon emissions in the U.S., making up 40 percent of all domestic greenhouse gas pollution. Currently, there are no federal laws in place to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. (Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

Energy and the Environment - Americans are divided on environmental protection along party lines: 58 percent of Democrats say it’s a top priority, according to a Pew Research survey released Feb. 3, compared to 27 percent of Republicans. By contrast, 55 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of Democrats say the nation’s energy problems are important.(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Steps Toward Cleaner Electricity - However, many states, local governments and have moved toward cleaner electricity alternatives. According to the Obama's report, 35 U.S. states have renewable energy targets in place, and more than 25 have set energy-efficiency targets. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Looking Forward - President Obama is directing the Environmental Protection Agency to work closely with states, industry leaders and other stakeholders to establish carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants. The president has also charged the Department of Interior with permitting enough renewable energy to power more than 6 million homes by 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

Barack Obama - "As I was looking at some of the really industrial-size locks, I was thinking about the fact that I am the father of two girls who are soon to be in high school, and it might come in handy to have these super-locks,” said President Obama during a visit to Wisconsin’s Master Lock Company to tout his economic plans. —Joyce Jones(Photo: JASON REED/Landov)

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Increasing Funding for Clean Energy - The president's 2014 budget increased funding for clean energy technology across all agencies by 30 percent (approximately $7.9 billion), including investments in advanced biofuels, nuclear and clean coal technologies.  (Photo: REUTERS/Jason Reed)

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Not Everything Is That Deep - Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes the train is running late, or the waiter messes up your order or your boo forgets to put the toilet seat down. Stop acting out over things that don’t matter. Take a breath. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Tackling Fuel Economy Standards - In 2011, the Obama administration finalized the first fuel economy standards for 2014-2018 for heavy duty vehicles (commercial trucks, vans and buses), which are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution within the transportation sector. The administration plans to continue to work with industry leaders and other stakeholders for a post-2018 plan. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Vehicles - The Obama administration has already implemented an aggressive plan for passenger vehicles. These standards require an equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, saving the average driver more than $8,000 in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicle. It is estimated that 6 billion metric tons of carbon pollution will be eliminated in the process. (Photo: GettyImages)

Stay Above the Fray - Avoid office gossip like the plague and keep coworker drama to a minimum. The top brass doesn’t get involved in petty matters, and you shouldn’t either. (Photo: Sean Justice/Getty Images)

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Breaking Down Barriers in Energy Efficiency - This fall, the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service is expected to finalize a proposed update to its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program to provide up to $250 million for rural utilities to finance efficiency upgrades for businesses and homeowners across rural America. (Photo: GettyImages)

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Reducing Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are primarily used for refrigeration and air conditioning, are potent greenhouse gases, and are expected to nearly triple in the U.S. by 2030. The president has directed his administration to purchase cleaner alternatives to HFCs whenever feasible and transition over time to equipment that uses safer and more sustainable alternatives, according to the report. (Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

Federal Leadership - Aiming to set an example for the American people and abroad, the federal government plans to consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Since 2008, federal agencies have reduced greenhouse gas pollution by more than 15 percent, "the equivalent of permanently taking 1.5 million cars off the road," according to the president's report. (Photo: Flickr Vision/GettyImages)

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Federal Leadership - Aiming to set an example for the American people and abroad, the federal government plans to consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Since 2008, federal agencies have reduced greenhouse gas pollution by more than 15 percent, "the equivalent of permanently taking 1.5 million cars off the road," according to the president's report. (Photo: Flickr Vision/GettyImages)