The best historical precedent for the Environmental Protection Agency's action comes from Ronald Reagan. He's not exactly known as the environmental president, but he took the decisive steps toward solving an earlier air pollution problem: destruction of the ozone layer.
On Monday, the Obama administration plans to release the finalized Clean Power Plan, the president's flagship policy to combat global warming. The plan is aimed at the electricity sector, which generates the largest single slice, 31 percent, of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions.
The rule, if it stands, could substantially alter the U.S. energy landscape, driving the expanded use of "clean" energy while further diminishing coal's long dominance as a source of power for homes and businesses.
The planet's surface temperature reached its hottest point in 135 years, international researchers said Thursday. In Latin America, Mexico had its warmest year on record, while Argentina and Uruguay each had their second warmest year on record.
