Following President Obama’s announcement of his landmark climate change regulations, many of the nation’s news outlets have weighed in on the Clean Power Plan. From Des Moines to New York City, editorial boards at news publications large and small have shared their thoughts on the EPA rule.
A wide majority of editorials in the first week applauded the new regulation and climate action overall. As reflections of their communities, however imperfect, local and national newspapers offer insight into the public’s views. Most offered strong support for the step, citing the plan’s impact on combating climate change, improving public health and spurring the clean energy revolution. A handful critiqued the plan.
The support stretched from the industrial Midwest to the South, encompassing coal-reliant states, coastal cities and swing states. Overall, the news outlets’ nationwide recognition of the new rule further demonstrates significance of the plan, which is being called the US’s strongest action ever on climate change.
Support:
- Obama is right to focus on climate change (San Francisco Chronicle editorial $)
- A power plan with teeth (The Trentonian editorial)
- Obama Clean Power Plan tops any GOP effort (Salt Lake Tribune editorial)
- EPA’s Clean Power Plan promotes the health of people and the planet (Raleigh News & Observer editorial)
- Luther Strange’s love for the planet (Anniston Star editorial)
- Clean Power Plan gives the world a shot. Maybe a last shot (St Louis Post Dispatch editorial)
- Give clean power a chance (Toledo Blade editorial)
- Framework for clean power (Akron Beacon Journal editorial)
- EPA rules are reasonable (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial)
- Reaching for the sun just got more expensive (Arizona Republic editorial)
- President Obama’s tough, achievable climate plan (New York Times editorial $)
- Power plan protects planet: Our view (USA Today editorial)
- Despite shortcomings, Mr. Obama’s Clean Power Plan sets an important example (Washington Post editorial $)
- Cooler heads should prevail on Clean Power Plan (Des Moines Register editorial)
- President Obama’s Clean Power Plan has the right priorities: Use less coal, clean up the air (Kansas City Star editorial)
- Obama puts climate change on nation’s political agenda (Detroit Free Press editorial)
- Obama’s power plant rules can work (Baltimore Sun editorial)
- EPA’s Clean Power Plan still costly but more realistic (Arizona Republic editorial)
- How should Virginia meet its carbon goals? (Richmond Times Dispatch editorial)
- Seize opportunities in Clean Power Plan (Missoulian editorial)
- Expect legal fight over carbon plan (Delaware Online editorial $)
- Reversing the tide on climate change (Chicago Tribune editorial)
- Obama charts more robust effort to fight climate change (Tampa Bay Times editorial)
- Revised power plan a mixed bag (Denver Post editorial)
- New Clean Power Plan takes lead on climate change (Mass Live editorial)
- Obama’s Clean Power Plan is good for the planet, good for public health (Star Tribune editorial)
- Why conservatives can embrace Obama’s good plan for bad air (Dallas Morning News Editorial)
- Clean Power Plan breath of fresh air (Asbury Park Press editorial)
Better fuels than fossils (Philadelphia Inquirer editorial)
- Clean Power Plan is late step in the right direction (Gulf News editorial)
- Obama’s Clean Energy Plan doesn’t go far enough (Los Angeles Times editorial $)
- Clean Power Plan good for planet, health (Battle Creek Enquirer editorial)
- Obama and the pipeline (Roanoke Times editorial)
- Hot air in defense of big coal (Virginia Pilot editorial)
- Climate change conflict (Peoria Journal Star editorial)
- Acting nationally is right way to fight global climate change (Los Angeles Daily News editorial)
- Cleaning up its act (Business Day editorial)
- US coal miners in crosshairs of Clean Power Plan (Northern Miner editorial)
- Texans should embrace EPA’s Clean Power Plan (Austin American Statesmen editorial)
- California leads on quitting coal (Fresno Bee editorial)
- Climate change: the heat is on (Otago Daily Times editorial)
- Barack Obama sets the pace on climate change (Toronto Star editorial)
- Clean power: The U.S. must give Obama’s plan a chance (Pittsburgh Post Gazette editorial)
- Clean slate (Crain’s Cleveland Business editorial)
- Christie needs to get on board with climate initiatives (Star Ledger editorial)
- Texas should stop suing over clean power, start negotiating for the future (Longview News Journal editorial)
- NM ahead of the pack on reducing carbon emissions (Albuquerque Journal editorial)
- Montana needs technology, flexibility to meet CO2 goal (Billings Gazette editorial)
- Consider the full story of coal in Wyoming (Casper Star Tribune editorial)
- Forget Clean Power end-around (Lincoln Star Journal editorial)
- Fighting for the right to pollute? (York Dispatch editorial)
- Clean Power Plan helps number coal’s days (Hartford Courant editorial $)
- Pence thumbs nose at EPA (Kokomo Tribune editorial)
- An ‘all of the above’ climate policy (San Diego Union Tribune editorial)
Critiques:
- Climate-change putsch: States should refuse to comply with Obama’s lawless power rule (Wall Street Journal editorial $)
- A fact-challenged clean energy plan (The Press Enterprise editorial)
- EPA takes expensive route to clean power (Sentinel & Enterprise editorial)
- Obama climate rules are too much, too soon (Detroit News editorial)
- The president’s other war (Washington Times editorial)
- Economic subterfuge (Cateret County News-Times editorial)
- Reorganizing the economy to deal with global warming is an issue for Congress, not the EPA (Tulsa World editorial)
- Good reason to oppose EPA rule (The Oklahoman editorial)
International views:
- The Guardian view on climate change: Obama’s plan is overdue but welcome all the same (The Guardian editorial)
- Hotter than August (The Economist editorial)
- America’s Clean Power Plan a good start to tackle climate change (Jamaica Observer)
- Climate Change: Can Obama make his big plan work? (DNA India)
- Obama’s bold move on climate change faces backlash (Irish Times editorial)
- More climate game changers needed (The Straits Times editorial)
- In tackling climate change, the US and China must walk in tandem (South China Morning Post editorial)
Updated as of 8/10/15