Obama Seeks Climate Legacy as Coal-State Democrats Cringe

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-29/obama-seeks-climate-legacy-as-coal-state-democrats-cringe.html

When President Barack Obama reviewed his aides’s ideas for tackling climate change last year, he gave one simple directive: “Don’t skinny it down.”

They didn’t, and Obama now is set to release new limits on greenhouse gas emissions by power plants as early as next week. That comes atop the unveiling of a National Climate Assessment in May and executive actions including promoting renewable fuels and building better defenses against extreme weather.

“The White House is systematically talking about climate change when, not too long ago, they wouldn’t use the word,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island and one of the chamber’s strongest advocates for action to slow climate change. “It’s been a huge step up.”

Obama downplayed climate change in his first term after a 2010 legislative defeat and now is seeking to secure his legacy on climate issues before his presidency comes to a close, say current and former aides who asked for anonymity to describe their meetings with him.