The Clean Air Act is the president's handiest tool for moving
forward. The Natural Resources Defense Council has outlined an
approach, using that law, which it figures could cut the
emissions from existing power plants by 26 percent from their
peak in 2005. The World Resources Institute has recommended
several other actions, all within the president's unilateral
powers: phasing out the use of certain hydrofluorocarbons;
setting lower standards for the methane emissions from natural
gas systems; and focusing on more energy efficiency from homes,
businesses and factories. Obama set a new energy efficiency goal
in his speech, but offered few specifics. "Let's cut in half the
energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20
years," he said. "We'll work with the states to do it. The
states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills
by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal
support to help make it happen." Some executive actions should
be easy to accomplish, and doing so