Calling climate change "a clear and present danger" to the nation, President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will take actions in the coming weeks on his own to address the climate "emergency," just days after an influential Democratic senator quashed hopes for a sweeping legislative package of new environmental programs. "As president, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger. And that's what climate change is about," Biden said. "The health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake." Biden made the announcement during a visit to a former coal-fired power plant in Somerset, Massachusetts, that is shifting to offshore wind manufacturing. It's the embodiment of the transition to clean energy that Biden is seeking but has struggled to realize in the first 18 months of his presidency. The executive actions Biden will take include new initiatives to bolster the domestic offshore wind industry as well as a continuation of efforts to help communities cope with soaring temperatures through programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies. The trip comes as historic temperatures bake Europe and the United States. Temperatures reached 115 degrees in Portugal as wildfires raged in Spain and France, and Britain on Tuesday shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered. At least 60 million Americans could experience triple-digit temperatures over the next several days as cities around the U.S. sweat through more intense and longer-lasting heat waves that scientists blame on global warming.