11 September 2009

Climate Change, Energy Security and the Obama Administration

Podcast reviews steps Obama administration has taken on clean energy

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During his campaign, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama promised to fight global warming, cut energy consumption and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources. On January 26th, less than a week after taking the oath of office as America’s 44th president, he declared that America is ready to lead on climate change.

Since then, the Obama administration has moved quickly to put the United States in a leadership position to work with nations of the world and meet the challenges of climate change and energy security.

Some of the effects of climate change are already occurring. Although it’s a global process, its effects — sea level rise, shrinking glaciers, changes in plant and animal distribution, early-blooming trees, and permafrost thaws — are regional and local. Recognizing that changes are under way, Obama has taken several steps since January to address the issue.

On January 26th, President Obama signed two related presidential memorandums. One directed the Department of Transportation to establish higher fuel efficiency standards for carmakers by the 2011 model year. The other directed the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a petition by California to set stricter limits for greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles than those set by the federal government.

On the same day, at the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton introduced Todd Stern as the nation’s new special envoy for climate change. Clinton said the appointment sends a clear message that the United States will be focused and serious about addressing global climate change and clean energy.

Stern is the principal adviser on international climate policy and strategy, and is the administration’s chief climate negotiator. He leads U.S. efforts in U.N. negotiations and will be a lead participant in developing climate and clean energy policy.

America has many agencies working on the issues of climate change and clean energy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is part of the Department of Commerce and conducts much of the research that goes into decision-making. NOAA’s National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States. NOAA  will take the lead role in forming a proposed climate service partnership that will include federal agencies like NASA, America’s space agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Forest Service and many others.

The Obama administration has also made the development of a clean energy sector part of its efforts to help the American economy recover. The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, signed by President Obama in February, dedicates around 10 percent of the $787 billion package to funding tax credits and green energy projects.

As nations around the world prepare to meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a successor treaty to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, America is taking steps at home and abroad to encourage sustainable energy use and tackle the global challenge of climate change.

This podcast is produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Links to other Internet sites or opinions expressed should not be considered an endorsement of other content and views.

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