Election 2008, Politics, Government

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Obama's Energy Platform - President Has Gained Support by Framing Issues In Terms of Jobs, Security

After a long day of campaigning on July 8, candidate Barack Obama arrived at his Chicago headquarters for a three-hour brainstorming session about a suddenly hot issue: energy and climate change.

He had summoned a cross section of experts, including top executives from three utilities and two oil companies, the chief energy economist of an investment bank, a climate scientist, a California energy and environment expert, an oil consultant-historian, and several campaign staffers. Despite the late hour, one participant recalled, "He walked in as if he had just gotten up after a refreshing night's sleep to lead a class. He was clearly there to harvest information and then do something with it."

Rapid Action on Climate Change, Turns Cautious

WASHINGTON, DC - President Obama came to office promising swift and comprehensive action to combat global climate change, and the topic remains a surefire applause line in his speeches here and abroad.

Yet the administration has taken a cautious and rather passive role on the issue, proclaiming broad goals while remaining aloof from details of climate legislation now in Congress.

Obama Primed to Push Climate Change Agenda

President-elect Barack Obama's new "green dream team" is committed to battling climate change and ready to push for big policy reforms, in stark contrast with the Bush administration, environmental advocates said. "If this team can't advance strong national policy on global warming, then no one can," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, referring to Obama's picks for the top energy and environment jobs in his administration, which takes office on Jan. 20.

Obama's Green Task List

Energy and emissions top Obama's green task list. What can be reasonably expected of the man who was the strongest environmental contender for the White House in US history? Barack Obama is raising expectations of swift action on the environment - possibly within his first few days in the White House.

Obama: Creating Green Energy Jobs a Priority in 2009

While Barack Obama's top priority will be appointing a Treasury secretary and White House chief of staff. The leading candidates: two Clinton administration stalwarts, Lawrence Summers and Representative Rahm Emanuel.

Given the financial crisis and two wars, Obama, 47, is bound to move more quickly than either of his two predecessors in making key personnel decisions.

Global Warming Meetings Focus on U.S. Role

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A trio of climate change meetings in the United States this week will focus attention on how Washington can deliver on its pledge to play a lead role in combating global warming. The central issue is how to curb the emission of climate-warming greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and petroleum-fueled vehicles, and whether to make the goals mandatory or "aspirational" as the White House has proposed. As the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases -- with China close behind and gaining fast -- the United States has said it wants to lead, but critics from the U.S. environmental movement and elsewhere question whether its voluntary approach will work.

Polar Bears Could Be Lost By 2050

Two-thirds of the world's polar bear population could be gone by mid-century if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Friday. The fate of polar bears could be even bleaker than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be vanishing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species.

Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks. Forward by President Bill Clinton. Apollo's Fire. Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy. "For those of you who want to move beyond the doom and gloom of the global warming dialogue, Apollo's Fire fits the bill." Robert Redford, Actor/Director. Buy Now!

Fires due to dry conditions and record-breaking heat consumed 20% of Samos Island, Greece, last July.

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