“The planet is warming, and human activity is contributing to it. So the question now is whether we will have the courage to act before it is too late.” stated President Obama as he announced that he will use Executive Orders to take aim at reducing carbon emissions on Tuesday.

The main target in his agenda will be the regulation of the amount of carbon dioxide spewed out from coal-fired power plants. He laid out his plans at Washington’s Georgetown University.

His new approach through Executive Orders will sidestep Congress, who has shot down his past environmental legislation.

The plan calls for the EPA to establish carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants, wind and solar projects on public lands, priority permitting for hydropower projects and energy efficiency in U.S. homes. His plan will also have the government partner with industry to develop fuel economy standards on heavy-duty vehicles and reduce levels of hydrofluorocarbon pollution.

He announced that he will push to end government support for public financing of new coal fired plants overseas except for efficient coal technology in the world’s poorest countries.

His plan also calls for preparing the nation against the impacts of climate change and leading international efforts to address that change.

Reactions to his proposal was immediate and came from the Republican side of the aisle. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that imposing carbon rules on power plants amounts to a carbon tax, and said the president’s plan a declaration of war on jobs “It is tantamount to kicking the ladder out from beneath the feet of many Americans struggling in today’s economy.” said McConnell.

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt called the plan “A war on coal.”

House Speaker John Boehner slammed the proposal before it was made public. He said to reporters last week, “I think this is absolutely crazy. Why would you want to increase the cost of energy and kill more American jobs at a time when the American people are still asking the question: Where are the jobs?”

Alaska Sernator Murkowski issued a press release today in response to the President’s plan. Senator Murkowski said:

“The central feature of the president’s climate agenda is command-and-control regulations that will drive up energy costs for all Americans. This is exactly the opposite of what we should be seeking from our energy and environmental policies.

“In the past several years, we’ve already seen substantial decreases in greenhouse gas emissions thanks to low natural gas prices, improved vehicle efficiency and other trends. Unfortunately, economic stagnation contributed to those emission decreases as well, and that is an experience we should avoid repeating.

“Instead, the president is again putting us on a path where government dictates circumvent elected representatives in Congress.” Stated the Senator speaking of the president’s intention to use of Executive Orders.