Taking Stock of President Obama's Environmental Efforts

On Tuesday September 4, 2012, Democrats opened their national convention by defending President Obama’s record and asking Americans to be patient. In their first four years in office, the Obama administration’s green efforts have been resisted by unprecedented Republican obstructionism and an electorate misinformed about the science of climate change. Others have criticized Obama for not doing enough to move the green agenda forward.

Despite a highly polarized political landscape, Obama has accomplished a great deal on energy and the environment. President Obama has worked to advance green jobs, electric vehicles, conservation, clean energy and efficiency.

Obama Addresses Solutions to Climate Change Long Before Becoming President (Video)

Although President Obama addressed the topic of climate change in a recent MTV interview, he has taken a lot of heat from environmentalists for his failure to address the issue in the 2012 presidential debates. However, Obama has been a stalwart supporter of the environment for years, long before becoming President. As revealed in this video, when Obama was a Senator he boldly advocated for action on climate change. These statements were well ahead of the vast majority of his peers and the American public. While some are concerned that the President has abandoned his stance on climate change, it is more likely that he is playing it smart in a highly partisan and contentious election cycle, where many Americans have succumbed to misinformation.

US Presidential Elections 2012: President Obama Addresses Climate Change (Video)

Environmentalists who were bitterly disappointed that climate change was not on the radar in the 2012 presidential elections will be pleased to note that President Obama has finally broached the topic. On October 26, President Obama addressed the topic in an interview by MTV. In fairness, Obama had previously mentioned green energy and green jobs in the first debate. In the same debate Republican nominee Mitt Romney lied about the success of green jobs to undermine the President's record. However, none of the debates made any mention of climate change.

Why President Obama was Unable to do More on the Environment (Video)

Although President Obama has done more to reduce America's climate change impacts than any president in US history, many wish he would have done far more. Anyone who wants to know why the US has not made more progress advancing efforts to address climate change need only take a look at this video. As seen in this clip President Obama is laughed at during his state of the union address after referring to the "overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change". Further progress on the environment is attributable to the astounding failure of many in Congress to accept the facts about climate change.

President Obama Addresses Climate Change at the UN (Video)

"The threat from climate change is serious it is urgent and it is growing. our generations response to this challenge will be judged by history. For if we fail to meet it boldly and swiftly and together we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe....The time we have to reverse this is running out, and yet we can reverse it."

President Obama Spells out his Climate Change Agenda Before Taking Office (Video)

At the 2009 conference of US governors, then President-elect Obama made the case for addressing climate change. Although he promised to open a new chapter on climate change, the President was soon confronted by obstructionism from Republicans and resistance from some Democrats.

Democrats the Environment and Green Jobs

Over the last couple of years the Democrats have passed legislation that staved off economic calamity. Contrary to the Republican attacks ads, the President's stimulus package has helped to create jobs and is poised to do more in the next couple of years.

A January 2010 report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers found the clean energy provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act had already saved or created 63000 jobs and they are expected to create more than 700,000 green jobs by 2012.

Green careers could play an important role in the ongoing recovery of the US economy and they are crucial to future job growth. Green holds more potential for real economic growth than any other industry.

Clean energy is a national security issue and an issue of global competitiveness. President Obama wants to advance green industry so that the US can be a competitive leader.

Many Democrats understand that we do not need to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. The President and many Democrats seek to create green jobs by promoting clean technologies, for this generation and future generations.

A recent Pew Research Centre poll showed just 16% of Republicans say the earth is warming because of human activity, compared to 53% for Democrats.


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