Is Obama doing anything for the environment?

[Tim01]

When he was elected I was cautiously hopeful that we had a fighting chance against the corporations. But I haven't heard much positive.Granted, I am really far removed from current news, and I know about the health care war. But I was kind of hoping there would be movement, or positive talk from day one of his administration. I am concerned the environment will just never be on the front burner, exactly how the corporations want it, and after this administration is no longer in power we will no longer stand a chance.
Somebody please bring me up to speed.

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. One of the best things he has done is put Lisa P. Jackson in charge at EPA

http://blog.epa.gov/administrator/

[Tim01]

2. Well, that is positive.

Of course on the other hand he assigned a former monsanto lobbyist to the FDA, so I am more concerned with actual results.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. I'd say we're seeing results at EPA and DoE (as tinrobot suggests)

http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/#topstories
http://energy.gov/news2009/releases.htm

[tinrobot]

3. Also Steven Chu at Energy

Helps to have a real scientist in charge of our energy policy instead of an oil industry hack.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Yes indeed

It certainly is nice to have a president who respects science.

[bananas]

7. And his Science Advisor, John Holdren

"His work has focused on the causes and consequences of global environmental change, energy technologies and policies, ways to reduce the dangers from nuclear weapons and materials, and science and technology policy."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holdren

John P. Holdren is advisor to President Barack Obama for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)<1>

Holdren was previously the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Director of the Woods Hole Research Center.<2>

Biography

Holdren trained in aeronautics, astronautics and plasma physics and earned a bachelor's degree from MIT in 1965 and a PhD from Stanford University in 1970. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley for more than two decades. His work has focused on the causes and consequences of global environmental change, energy technologies and policies, ways to reduce the dangers from nuclear weapons and materials, and science and technology policy.<1><2>

Holdren served as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from February 2006 to February 2007, and as board Chairman from February 2007 until February 2008.<2> He was the founding chair of the advisory board for Innovations, a quarterly journal about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges published by MIT Press, and has written and lectured extensively on the topic of climate change. He was confirmed as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on March 19, 2009 by a unanimous vote in the Senate. <3><4> <5>

<snip>

[kestrel91316]

6. No, just like every other area of national concern, he has done nothing

whatsoever.

:sarcasm:

[bananas]

8. Here's an article which lists a number of specific things he's done

"Sure Obama got off to a good start, but what has the green FDR done lately?"
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-09-10-sure-obama-ended-the-bush-depression-cut-taxes-for-98-of

[wuvuj]

9. Obama meter...

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/subjects/environment/

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/subjects/energy/