Barack Obama has got a lot on his plate. And the expectations placed on him are pretty extraordinary. Will he accomplish everything he has set out to do? Probably not. This is a function of the economic crisis and the wide range of issues he wishes to deal with in the next four to eight years.
But it is important to take note of the issues that he frequently mentions. In many of his speeches, he usually begins by making reference to four main subjects: fixing the economy; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; energy independence; climate change.
The fourth subject might be of greatest interest to us. You'll notice he often refers to a 'planet in peril' among numerous other terms to describe climate change. Addressing climate change is a complex issue and would require far more than the participation of the United States, but as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions it certainly plays a key role. How Obama addresses climate change is still a little up in the air and whether or not he will be able to do very much is still quite uncertain.
But the fact that climate change gets mentioned along with the other big three during Obama's speeches is a sign one can be hopeful of. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that serious climate change policy in the United States doesn't solely remain in speeches.
Action on climate change is a big part of his agenda. He has agreed to $150 billion over ten years in clean energy. This money will be invested in biofuels and fuel infrastructure, plug-in hybrids, and investing in low-emissions coal plans.
ReplyDeleteThe United States is one the World's biggest greenhouse gas emitters. I think Obama's most practical goal is "increasing fuel economy standards". Automobiles are among the heaviest emitters of volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. He has pledged to double fuel economy standards within 18 years.
He will provide tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufactures. This will help them build new fuel efficient vehicles rather than having them built overseas where standards may be more lax. He is also investing in vehicle technology like advanced lightweight materials and new engines. Hopefully this will have some impact.