Obama team primed to push climate change agenda

[jpak]

http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSN22505340

WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's new "green dream team" is committed to battling climate change and ready to push for big policy reforms, in stark contrast with the Bush administration, environmental advocates said on Monday.

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"This caliber of scientists in any administration would be a major headline," Knobloch said by telephone on Monday. "But in contrast to the eight years of the Bush administration, where political appointees ran roughshod over science at a terrible cost to the truth, they stand out even more."

<snip>

Obama has pledged to create 5 million green jobs and break U.S. dependence on foreign oil, investing $150 billion in the next decade to build an energy economy that relies on renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal energy.

"None of this will be easy, because some of the powerful special interests and their allies still have their heads in the sand," said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters.

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[polichick]

1. imo this is THE MOST exciting thing about the new administration!

[tinrobot]

2. Absolutely - it will fundamentally change this country.

...and hopefully, the planet.

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Am I the only only one...

...who thinks $150 billion over ten years isn't actually that much?

:shrug:

[Posteritatis]

4. By, say, Defense standards, maybe

It'd be interesting to see how far Obama, who strikes me as far more of a fiscal conservative (in the "spend the money properly" sense) than any Republican I can think of, can stretch that. And, of course, there's no reason the amount couldn't be raised if needed.

[Dead_Parrot]

9. Certainly, by DoD standards

They could loose that much money and not even notice. In fact, I think they have, several times over. :(

[Citizen Number 9]

5. Used to seem pretty large,

but the last few years/months have made it seem like leftovers. Especially if it creates some jobs and moves our infrastructure forward.

I hope we haven't forgotten about the "SuperFund" sites, though.

[kristopher]

7. Try $100 billion in the next two years...

At least, that is the number I'm hearing. I don't think that included $$ for the auto industry to gear up for EVs and high mileage autos, which is to be a separate line item.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. That would be better

I guess I'm thinking along the lines of the Stern report: 1% GDP would be around $160B/yr, and if there's a bunch of jobs being created you could probably find that from the DoD and Soc Sec budgets without breaking a sweat.

[kristopher]

10. Or hire a collection agency to dog AIG... nt

[quidam56]

6. Appalachia is turning into a toxic waste dump third world America

http://www.wisecountyissues.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkzmb8bcTcM