White House chart on proposed emissions.

White House chart on proposed emissions.

When the deadline was reached Tuesday, just six governments had submitted plans for reducing their climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions: the European Union, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and the United States . Given that these plans—in the jargon called “intended nationally designated contributions”—are meant to provide the basis for an international climate agreement to be signed in Paris just eight months from now, that's not very encouraging.

As environmental reporter Tim McConnell noted at Mother Jones, there were no surprises in the U.S. submission. The INDC the Obama administration has proposed reiterates the deal it made with Beijing five months ago to reduce the U.S. contribution of greenhouse gases 26 to 28 per cent over the 2005 levels by 2025. A key element of this reduction comes from the Clean Power Plan. It mandates reducing GHG emissions from the electricity sector 30 percent by 2030. That means big changes for coal. And that means a commitment to a big expansion of renewable sources of energy.

I'll get to some of the INDC's details in a moment. But first a few words from the Republicans in the form of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's suggestion to the rest of the world that it should not count on the United States to cut its emissions. The crux of this saboteur's remarks:



"Considering that two-thirds of the U.S. federal government hasn't even signed off on the Clean Power Plan and 13 states have already pledged to fight it, our international partners should proceed with caution before entering into a binding, unattainable deal."

Or said another way: You cannot be sure that Obama's global warming proposal won't be reversed when we Republicans get hold of it. Because, snowballs.

Next up presumably, Tom Cotton-style, will be a letter on Senate stationery to Mother Earth explaining the benefits she receives from human extraction and burning of fossil fuels and warning her not to get her hopes up that the denier caucus of America's top legislature is going to shake off its ignorance and greed and start dealing with reality.