Obama Not Backing Down on Environmental Progress

To facilitate North America’s coming together to clean up its electricity grid, President Obama is about to announce the partnership that the U.S. is making with Canada and Mexico.  The goal: 50% clean energy by 2025, facilitated by transmitting large amounts of power between the three countries as required to maximize the penetration of renewable energy.

It’s really happening, I’m delighted to say.

For those who may not have noticed Obama’s other accomplishments regarding the environment, I offer the following, from PleaseCutTheCrap.com. 

 

Addressed the Environment While Dealing with Energy Needs

Doubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE

Pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars.   http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y

Created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.   http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq

Reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.”  http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3   http://bit.ly/fE2PxK  http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv

Fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.  http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO

Required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption.  http://bit.ly/lBhk7P

Under Obama, our dependence on foreign oil has dropped to its lowest rate since 1985, and continues to drop. http://1.usa.gov/1p6kTUy 

Meanwhile, oil consumption is way down because of reduced driving and higher mileage standards. http://ti.me/1z4HFG8

Improved siting, review and permitting stations for power plants, in an attempt to seriously improve the nation’s electric grid.   http://1.usa.gov/1l8zNqn

Reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.  http://bit.ly/fzQUFO

Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles.   http://bit.ly/glCukV

Established a quadrennial review of our energy infrastructure, to encourage a modernization of the grid, and to encourage the transition away from fossil fuel use.  http://1.usa.gov/1nx2oMo

Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.   http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c http://bit.ly/h5KZqy

Encouraged BP to pay $20 billion to establish Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, to reduce the need for taxpayer funds to be used for compensation and clean up.   http://wapo.st/ds2BxT (Note: it took 20 years to get $1.3 billion for the Exxon Valdez spill. )

Oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo

Actively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3

Became the first President to simply say “Climate Change is a fact,” and set up the first federal government protocols for dealing with the impacts of climate change.  http://1.usa.gov/1b7V67B

Initiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a

Asserted federal legal supremacy to bar Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own.http://bit.ly/ww8eMd

Set up new, stricter standards limiting power plant emissions.  http://1.usa.gov/1mML2M3

Strengthened the Endangered Species Act.  http://bit.ly/hscjsH

Strengthened protection for wildlife, and expanded enforcement of laws against wildlife trafficking.  http://1.usa.gov/1fce1Ai

Obama EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7nt

Through the EPA, attemped to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2

Through new EPA regulations, he created a pretext for closing the dirtiest power plants in the country, by limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic gasses.  http://bit.ly/rQCIgA

Increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10%  http://bit.ly/fbJPjY

Announced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards.  http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K

Announced a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025   http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW

Facilitated investment in industrial energy efficiency to create jobs and strengthen US manufacturing while saving businesses $100 billion over a decade.   http://1.usa.gov/WsIgbx

Set up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to oversee Gulf Coast restoration efforts after the 2010 BP oil spill. The money to fund the restoration efforts comes from fines against BP.  http://1.usa.gov/Rxjb29

Engaged in the most comprehensive plan to combat climate change in a generation. http://bit.ly/13lXhET

Ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p

Oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R

Guided a 418% increase in solar power capacity between 2010 and 2014.  http://bit.ly/1rHkWJC

As of May 2015, 74% of new electrical capacity was provided by solar and wind power.  http://bit.ly/1T5r0LC

Bypassed Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.   http://bit.ly/froaP5

Oversaw a tripling in the use of wind power to generate electricity. The US now leads the world in increased wind power capacity. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5448

Ordered the federal government to incorporate climate resilience and climate science into all international development in which the United States engages.  http://1.usa.gov/YV1EpW

Fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal standards.    http://nyti.ms/e8e94x

Fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in more than a decade.   http://politi.co/hiaPKM

Oversaw establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y

Obama EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history.  http://bit.ly/lP3yEL

Ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances.    http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu

Obama EPA ruled that excess CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN

Closed a deal with China to limit carbon emissions to slow down climate change.  http://nyti.ms/1xzyS8K

Blocked all oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of the most pristine environments in North America  http://lat.ms/13xUVFD

Signed an Executive Order to improve environmental efforts in the Arctic region and to combat climate change by better coordinating the efforts of the 23 federal agencies operating in the area.   http://usat.ly/ZEzLzE

Vetoed a bill to fast track construction of the parallel Keystone XL pipeline. http://nbcnews.to/1DVDFo7

Expanded clean water regulations to more stringently protect all of the nation’s waterways, even when states fail in their duty.   http://bit.ly/1RdQpTc

Signed an Executive Order committing the federal government to lead the way in building a sustainable economy. It’s his fifth doing just that.  http://1.usa.gov/1EzO2ne

Banned the use of antibiotics in food served in US Government-run cafeterias and ordered agencies to only use antibiotic-free meat.  http://bit.ly/1G1vUxi   http://bit.ly/1KHkl4N

Developed new rules to address climate change and to create a significant boost to clean energy.   http://bit.ly/1UnQcuR

Negotiated and signed a virtually Republican-Proof global agreement on climate change, with 190 countries signing on.    http://bit.ly/1RkjVG8

Became one of 196 countries that signed onto a UN Framework on Climate Change.  http://unfccc.int/2860.php

Ordered a moratorium on new coal leasing on federal land, and they will examine the whole leasing process.  http://wapo.st/23Q6en8