Live now: Barack Obama’s speech on climate change

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama declared the debate over climate change and its causes obsolete Tuesday as he announced a wide-ranging plan to tackle pollution and prepare communities for global warming.

In a major speech at Georgetown University, Obama warned Americans of the deep and disastrous effects of climate change, urging them to take action before it’s too late.

“As a president, as a father and as an American, I’m here to say we need to act,” Obama said.

Obama announced he was directing his administration to launch the first-ever federal regulations on carbon dioxide emitted by new and existing power plants, moving to curb the gases blamed for global warming. Other aspects of the plan will boost renewable energy production on federal lands, increase efficiency standards and prepare communities to deal with higher temperatures.

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