Obama: What’s in store for the environment

The 2008 US Presidential elections have global implications for the environment – not only is the USA one of the leading emitters of greenhouse gases, but under the Bush administration it has been uncooperative with global environmental initiatives and hesitant to make commitments that would reduce its emissions. American advocacy media group AlterNet.org outlines Obama’s environmental agenda for the next four years.

As President of the USA Obama will have to deal with the greatest environmental challenges ever faced by the world, first and foremost is the threat of climate change, an issue that, if left unaddressed, could have potentially catastrophic consequences.

How will the next American President deal with economic and environmental issues such as energy needs, water security and job security? It is early to say for sure, but this is what we can expect.

 

Climate change

The world faces economic, humanitarian and environmental crises from unchecked global climate change, including the loss of important water sources that help quench the needs of industry, agriculture and homes. Coastal cities will also be threatened by rising sea levels, and the frequency and severity of storms are predicted to increase.

Solution: A comprehensive bill on climate change must be passed in order to cut emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, as prescribed by the world’s leading IPCC scientists.

Obama’s position: Obama supported legislation to cut emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and has a plan to achieve that through a market-based cap-and-trade system.

Learn more: 1Sky, 350.org, Rainforest Action Network

 

Coal

Half of Americans get their energy from coal, but it is the dirtiest energy source and the extraction, cleaning and burning of it has caused major environmental and health problems.

Solution: America must stop using coal and instead use cleaner, renewable sources of energy. There is no point in supporting “clean coal” technology or coal-to-liquids fuels because these do nothing to address the destructive practices of coal extraction, including mountaintop removal mining.

Obama’s position: Obama has proposed investing $150 billion over 10 years in renewables, but this includes so-called “clean coal” technology. He also was the co-sponsor of the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act, which he later “clarified,” saying he would only support liquefying coal if it emitted 20 percent less carbon than conventional fuels.

Learn more: Appalachian Voices, Coal River Mountain Watch, iLoveMountains.org

 

Renewable energy

As we face dwindling supplies and increasing environmental harm from fossil fuels like oil and coal, not enough attention and resources are being directed toward developing and implementing renewable energy projects.

Solution: Cut our dependence on energy sources that cause carbon emissions and instead focus our resources on clean, renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal.

Obama’s position: Obama’s plan would double federal research money for renewable energy, would aim to get 25 percent of US electricity from clean sources by 2025 and would create a clean technology venture capital fund. Obama supported renewables in the Senate, making it back for a key vote (that McCain failed to vote on) during the primary campaign.

Learn more: League of Conservation Voters, Apollo Alliance, Green for All

 

Biofuels

With the price of gas rising, many people are looking to biofuels, such as ethanol, as a replacement. But growing food for fuel has caused the price of commodities like corn to rise and has increased the use of water and pesticides, causing more environmental harm.

Solution: Explore the development of fuels that are created from waste products and other nonfood items.

Obama’s position: Obama’s plan calls for 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be used in the United States each year by 2022 and 60 billion gallons of biofuels to be used in the country each year by 2030.

Learn more: National Family Farm Coalition, NRDC, New Rules Project

 

Energy and fuel efficiency

While there is an increasing recognition that we need to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy, there has been little talk about how much money we can save and how much emissions we can cut by increasing efficiency.

Solution: Raise energy efficiency and fuel efficiency standards and help people save money by saving energy and lowering their carbon footprints.

Obama’s position: Obama’s plan has a goal of improving new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency by 25 percent in the next 10 years and providing energy incentives for conservation. He voted yes on comprehensive energy legislation that included raising automobile fuel efficiency standards to 35 mpg by 2020.

Learn more: Apollo Alliance, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Alliance to Save Energy

 

Water

America faces a water crisis from global warming, pollution, scarcity and privatization. In the next 10 years, 36 US states will be facing water scarcity. Municipalities are strapped for money to maintain and repair aging infrastructure as funding from the federal government has fallen 66 percent since 1991. This has opened the door for the privatization of public water sources, causing rates to rise and services to diminish.

Solution: Full funding from the federal government is needed to protect and clean up water sources, stop the privatization of municipal water, and ensure adequate funding of our water infrastructure.

Obama’s position: Obama voted for on an amendment that would include $900 million for flood management and pollution caused by runoff from roads. Obama supports full funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps states keep their water clean and safe.

Learn more: Food and Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International, American Rivers

 

Oil drilling

As Democrats and Republicans talk about solutions to rising gas prices and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, there has been renewed interest in offshore oil drilling and drilling in ecologically pristine areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Solution: New offshore permits and drilling in ANWR should be taken off the table, as they would do nothing to ease the strain of drivers struggling with rising prices.

Obama’s position: In 2006, Obama rejected efforts to open up 8 million acres off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana for oil and gas drilling. He has also been against drilling in ANWR. However, this summer he said he would reconsider lifting the ban on offshore drilling if it were part of a larger energy bill.

Learn more: League of Conservation Voters, NRDC, Sierra Club

 

Air

Coal-burning power plants, vehicle emissions and other pollutants threaten air quality and health.

Solution: Coal plants need to be phased out and the Clean Air Act must be strengthened to make sure corporations are accountable to the communities where they operate.

Obama’s position: In the Senate, Obama helped to stop Bush’s rollbacks on the Clean Air Act, which would have increased industrial emissions of mercury and sulfur. And he fought a Bush administration rule that would have delayed meaningful reductions in mercury emissions from power plants for 20 more years.

Learn more: Coalition for Clean Air, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund

 

Nuclear energy

As awareness about global warming has increased, the nuclear industry is trying to rebrand nuclear power as a clean, renewable source of energy.

Solution: Nuclear power is not a clean or safe form of energy and should not be given government subsidies.

Obama’s position: Obama has said that he supports nuclear power if it is clean and safe, but he has not defined what it would take to make nuclear power and its waste clean and safe. He is against the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain and has not specifically called for building any nuclear power plants.

Learn more: Nuclear Information and Resources Service, Environment America, Beyond Nuclear

 

Green jobs

The economy is tanking and global warming emissions continue to rise despite warnings from leading scientists about the threats of climate change. A green jobs program could help tackle both of these problems at once, but action needs to come from the federal government to jump-start it.

Solution: A federal initiative is needed that would invest $100 billion over the next two years to help create 2 million new jobs in clean energy products and services. Such a program would provide good-paying jobs for middle-class Americans, help lift people out of poverty, help increase energy efficiency and reduce global warming emissions.

Obama’s position: Obama would use revenue from auctioning emissions permits from his global warming plan to help develop cleaner energy sources, create green jobs and help lower-income people pay for their energy bills. He also seeks to create a Clean Energy Jobs Corps and Green Job Corps for disadvantaged youth. His plan would create 5 million new green jobs.

Learn more: Apollo Alliance, Green for All, 350.org