Many environmentalists have criticized Obama for his green credentials as even though he backs action on climate change, he so far has very little to show for it. During his tenure as a president America have extracted more oil than they did under Bush, and he has opened up more and more drilling licenses. He has also refused to rule out the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Though on the other hand he also advocates the great possibilities that lies in clean energy, and has even started talking about the controversial issue of ending fossil fuel subsidies.
His main rival Republican Mitt Romney, has even though he previously have believed in climate change now decided he does not believe in it. He wants to end subsidies for renewable energy and limit the power the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has.
I believe the biggest environmental challenges that the US will face the next four years will be, growing a green economy, reduce the need for fossil fuels while at the same time protect American jobs and reduce unemployment rates. This is a tough challenge that lies ahead, and based on that I have split the issues into five questions. What do you think? Do you agree?
1) Would Mitt Romney as President end the possibility on a green economy in the US and action on Climate Change?
2) Were Obama to become president, would we finally get significant movement in the green sector and would he move to phase out fossil fuel subsidies?
3) If Obama does not deliver any green election pledges, will the green voters flee and vote for Jill Stein the Green candidate and thereby damage his chances of winning?
4) No matter who the President will be is it inevitable that we see an approval of the Keystone XL pipeline?
5) As someone who has previously shown an interest for environmental protection in Clint Eastwood, recently endorsing Romney, what does this mean for you and what do you make of this?
UPDATE 14:00 (GMT)BBC's Richard Black tweeted earlier" 'Three years ago, Barack Obama pledged 'global leadership' on climate change. Now this' "This was in response to revelations that the US believes that below 2 degrees should be dropped.
This brings us back to somewhere between question 2 color: black;">
This doesn't make things any easier, should we hope for an Obama loss and therefore give Americans a wake up call thinking about the news today that America are officially starting to scale their efforts back, or should we keep faith in him and hope they will see sense and maybe hope they will start making a link toward the extreme weather they're seeing currently?
UPDATE 8/08
Seems like the US are backtrafficking amongst critisism of moving away from the 2 degrees target. About the 2 degree goal, US Climate Change benvoy Todd Stern says:" 'The U.S. continues to support this goal. We have not changed our policy'."
UPDATE 10/08There is more from Obama's green ambitions. He is fast tracking several renewable energy projects. Five utility scale solar projects and one wind farm with a combined generating capacity of 5GW and which could power up to 1.5 million homes.
It's all part of Obama's plan to make the US less dependent on energy from abroad and produce more renewable energy and there is no doubt he sees a big future in the US clean sector. This could also signal one of the elections battles as Mitt Romney wants to end renewable energy subsidies.
UPDATE 16/08Obama is again speaking up about the benefit on wind energy, at his campaign tour in Iowa, while Romney in Ohio speaking to coal miners slamming Obama's environmental regulations that he said affected domestic coal production.
According to Obama the wind industry in Iowa supports 7.000 jobs and provides a fifth's of the states energy. Talking about Romney Obama said: "If he wants to learn something about wind, all he has got to do is pay attention to what you've been doing here in Iowa"
UPDATE 24/08
Romney releasing an energy plan that is outright devastating and critical of the green economy. Claiming that environmental regulations and renewable energy will harm economic growth. He would also open up new offshore drilling licenses in the Gulf of Mexico and would immediately approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline saying that this is necessary for America to become energy independent.
UPDATE 1/09
Earlier in the week Obama approved ground making efficiency and CO2 emissions standards, groundbreaking for the US anyway. By 2025 the fuel economy standard will be 54.5 MPG (mile per gallon). That measure will double the efficiency standards compared to the cars on the US road today. Those efforts though are still weaker than those currently being proposed by the EU.
UPDATE 11/10
We're now under a month away from the election and as expected there has not been much talk about Climate Change and clean energy and in the first TV debate the subject were left almost untouched. Environmentalists keep speculating will he mention it? In his address to Colorado after the TV debate he made more of an issue about it again speaking up for the wind industry and how many jobs it create and yesterday Obama tweeted: "Climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and wildfires are not a joke. They're a threat to your future." Which ponder the question will he mention it in the next TV debate?
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UPDATE 1/11
With less than a week to go until the election everything seems to have turned on a plate. The US were hit by a mega storm this week also dubbed Frankenstorm, spiralling in damages totalling 20 billion plus on the US east. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo have in the wake of the devastation saying that our weather has changed and we have to start preparing for events like these. Bill Clinton who has stepped in for Obama after he was forced to cancel days of campaigning due to the disaster have come out attacking the Republicans stance on climate change. Suddenly it's being argued that climate change might play an important role in the remaining US election campaign.
"Join the debate and let me know your views either the comment section below, on twitter @alorenzen or at agreenerlifeagreenerworld@gmail.com, they might be featured in this blog which will be updated during the day."
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