Politics

On Monday March 4, President Barack Obama announced that he had nominated a nuclear physicist from MIT as his choice for energy secretary. The President tapped Dr Ernest J Moniz to take over for Steven Chu as head the Department of Energy (DOE). The President will look to Moniz, to reduce US dependence on foreign oil and establish America as a leader in clean energy technology. Moniz was the Under Secretary of the DOE during the Clinton administration. Moniz was confirmed by the US Senate as Under Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) on 28 October 1997. As Under...

On Monday March 4, President Barack Obama announced that an air quality expert would be his nominee for the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a veteran of the EPA, Gina McCarthy is a good choice to replace Lisa Jackson as administrator. The 58 year old McCarthy earned a B.A., from the University of Massachusetts and has an M.S., from Tufts University. She is married to Kenneth McCarey; and has three children. One of the more interesting aspects of McCarthy's previous work experience is the fact that she is a former employee of Mitt Romney. She was commissioner,...

President Obama has reasserted his commitment to addressing climate change in his 2013 State of the Union address. Here are climate and energy related excerpts of the President's address. The American people don't expect government to solve every problem. They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party. They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together; and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task...

There are those who do not believe that President Barack Obama is serious about tackling climate change. Although President Obama made strong statements indicating his willingness to engage climate issues at the beginning of his first term, he ended up doing less than some had hoped. Similarly, during his inaugural address at the beginning of his second term he reiterated his commitment to reduce America's contributions to climate change. During the 2012 election very little was said on environmental issues. This all changed on inauguration day when the President stated that he intends to act on climate issues. The President's...

President Obama marked the start of his second term with a bold inaugural speech at the Capitol. With renewed determination the President reached beyond the partisan divide and showed true leadership. Speaking directly to the American people the President clearly stated that the United States will engage climate change. Here are excerpts of the President's remarks: For more than two hundred years, we have...made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care...

The public Presidential inauguration ceremony took place on Monday, January 21, and event organizers paid unprecedented attention to environmental sustainability. The official Inauguration Day was January 20th. However, as that date falls on a Sunday in 2013, the public swearing-in ceremony was held on Monday, January 21, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the official event taking place at 11:55 a.m. This year's official theme is "Faith in America's Future." One of the unique touches that define the unique quality of President Obama's inauguration are the efforts to make the event more environmentally sustainable. The green elements of this year's...

At the end of a hard-fought campaign, President Obama won the popular vote and he earned 303 electoral college votes to 206 for Republican challenger Mitt Romney. The Senate remains under the control of the Democrats however, the House remains under the control of Republicans. Now the hard work of bridging a divided nation will commence. Here is the full transcript of President Obama's victory speech: ______________________________________________ Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because...

The election of 2012 offers the stark contrast between fossil fuels like coal and clean renewable energy. Obama Supports wind power while Romney supports energy derived from coal. Each candidate offers a different conception of America's energy future. Romney wants to see even more fossil fuel being burned while Obama wants to grow renewable sources of energy like windthat have no emissions. The President derided Romney's stance on wind power while Romney said Obama is waging a "war on coal." The Obama administration through the EPA has enacted regulations on new power plants that make it harder to build new...

The United Nations Global Compact Corporate Sustainability Forum saw more than 150 tangible commitments from the business community. Business leaders pledged sustainable policies and joined a call for world leaders to usher in "a green industrial revolution" to save the planet. The 1200 CEOs made voluntary commitments to greater energy efficiency, reforestation, a lower carbon footprint and other green policies. This is all part of their policy recommendations which will be presented to heads of state at the conference. According to a UN Global Compact release, these pledges are "time-bound, measurable commitments on which corporations are required to report annually."There...

The cooperation of G20 member states is the key to a sustainable recovery. Although the global financial crisis revealed the interconnectedness of the modern economy, it also underscored the importance of cooperation. The Toronto G20 meeting was billed as a final checkup to ensure agreements reached in Pittsburgh would be finalized at a November gathering in Korea, where leaders would then plan for a post-crisis world. "Our highest priority in Toronto must be to safeguard and strengthen the recovery," President Barack Obama wrote in a letter to his G20 colleagues. "We worked exceptionally hard to restore growth; we cannot let...