EU to tackle climate change with windmills, heavy costs for polluters

The European Union will present plans Wednesday to tackle climate change with more windmills, fewer power-draining buildings and heavier penalties on major polluters.

Proposals by the European Commission will set out how the EU's 27 nations can slash carbon dioxide and other gases linked to global warming by a fifth by 2020 _ a pledge EU leaders made last year. Wind power generators along the Atlantic coast and tighter limits for coal-burning plants will mean cleaner air and a cleaner conscience for Europe as it seeks a global pact to cut carbon dioxide emissions that causes climate change.

Draft EU plans obtained by The Associated Press describe Europe and the world as being at a crossroads. The documents call for ``decisive and immediate action'' to release less carbon and steer away from unreliable and costly energy imports by developing homegrown renewable power.