Barack Obama

Environmental record

In his first year as President, Barack Obama has taken several steps towards reducing the United States carbon emissions.  In February of 2009, Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Amongst its provisions, the ARRA includes more than $80 billion dollars for clean energy and efficiency investments, for example: $11 billion for creating a more efficient energy grid, $8 billion for building high speed rail systems, $2.3 billion in tax credits to encourage the create clean energy manufacturing jobs, $9.5 billion for improving the efficiency of homes and federal buildings, and $600 million for green job training. ^{1 2}

Further, in 2009, the EPA issued its finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health, and announced that it would therefore begin excercising its authority under the clean air act to regulate them.  In October 2009, President Obama issued an executive order mandating that the federal government reduce its own carbon footprint by cutting the fossil fuel use of federal buildings.  In September 2009, President Obama took action to increase transparency by mandating that the majority of polluters report the amount of greenhouse gases they are emitting.³

Perhaps most notable, in December 2009, President Obama attended the UN Copenhagen Climate Conference.  While there Obama played an integral role in the adoption of the Copenhagen Accord, the only significant agreement to emerge from the conference.  A non-binding agreement, the Accord states that deep international emissions cuts are needed to hold the increase in global temperature to under two degrees Celsius. The Accord relies on industrialized nations to set their own economy wide emission reduction targets to take effect in 202o by January 31, 2010.⁴

Footnotes

1. Energy and Environment; The White House.  2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.

2. Presidential Report Card: Clean Energy and Climate in the First Year; League of Conservation Voters. 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.

3. Presidential Report Card: Clean Energy and Climate in the First Year; League of Conservation Voters. 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.

4. "Copenhagen Accord" Conference of the Parties 15 Session. Copenhagen December 7-18, 2009.