The environment is front and center - at the White House and on Capitol Hill today.

President Barack Obama will propose an aggressive new plan to directly regulate fuel emissions for the first time. Under his proposal average fuel standards for all new passenger vehicles — including the large, gas-guzzling SUVs filling American streets — would rise by 10 miles a gallon to 35.5 miles per gallon between 2012 and 2016.

White House officials say the new fuel emission standards will produce a 30 percent drop in climate-warming carbon emissions over the life of the program.

Ten auto company top executives will be on hand as Obama makes the announcement at 12:15 p.m. EDT at the White House.

Also on Tuesday lawmakers will start debating a climate change bill aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Republicans object that the legislation will burden the struggling economy with higher energy costs.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will start what is expected to be days of arduous debate over the Democrat’s climate change proposal. Republicans are expected to try to remove a key element — the “cap and trade” system that would gradually reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that companies can emit.

Obama will switch gears in the afternoon to talk with former Secretaries of State and a past Secretary of Defense about U.S. non proliferation policies.

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Photo credit: REUTERS/Fred Prouser (Traffic in Los Angeles)

BEREA, Ohio - Democrat Barack Obama dismissed as “ignorant” attempts by Republicans to make fun of his suggestion that Americans properly inflate their car tires to save fuel.

Asked at a St. Louis town hall last week how people could contribute to the effort to conserve fuel, Obama said that steps such as inflating tires to the correct levels could make a difference.

Republicans have seized on the comment to suggest that the advice on tires was the sum total of the energy plan put forth by Obama.

Mark Salter, a top aide to Republican John McCain, handed reporters metal tire gauges inscribed with the words: “Obama’s energy plan.”

At a town hall event in Berea, Ohio, Obama recited his plans to encourage the development of alternative fuels and his proposal for energy tax rebates and said Republicans were “lying about what my energy plan is.”

“The other thing is, they are making fun of a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption by three to four percent,” Obama said. “It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant. They think it’s funny that they’re making fun of something that is actually true.”

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds shot back by criticizing Obama for not calling on Congress to convene an emergency session to discuss energy solutions.

“Instead of calling on his party’s leadership to return to Congress and carve out an ‘all of the above’ approach to America’s energy crisis, Barack Obama would rather tell commuters to inflate their car tires,” Bounds said.

- Photo credit: Reuters/Rebecca Cook (Unsold SUV’s at a Michigan lot)