Loretto Earth Network News Step Into Action Spring 2013
Vol. 21, No. 2
President Obama and the Environment By Maureen Fiedler SL
T
he environmental community was delighted that President Obama accented the important phrase, “climate change” in his Inaugural Address and in his 2013 State of the Union speech. In the Inaugural, he said: “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it.” In his State of the Union address, he went further, saying, “...we must do more to combat climate change. Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods — all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just freak coincidences. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science — and act before it’s too late.” Rhetoric is fine, but what will he DO about climate change? For starters, two key appointments are a good sign: Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior, and Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Both await Senate confirmation.
But, in the minds of many earth activists, the key decision — expected this summer — is whether or not to permit construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. That’s the pipeline which, if approved, would transport dirty “tar sands” oil from Canada to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. That decision is President Obama’s... following a recommendation from the State Department. The League of Conservation voters says this about Sally Jewell: as the “former CEO of the outdoor recreation retail company REI, she has a unique appreciation for public lands and even worked to reduce REI’s carbon footprint by using renewable electricity sources... She’s been nationally recognized for her efforts on conservation...” The Washington Post says that Gina McCarthy may be Obama’s “most significant” nominee because — with the Congress deadlocked on environmental issues — the EPA will have to do the work of stopping carbon pollution through regulation. McCarthy currently heads the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and played a key role in crafting a variety of new pollution rules last term, including limits on soot and mercury emissions from power plants...” As Obama said in his State of the Union, “... if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take...” Translation: my new EPA chief will act. That’s a powerful post.
In early April, the citizens of Mayflower, Arkansas got a firsthand look at what it might mean were this pipeline constructed... and then burst. Dirty oil like that in Canada spilled out into the streets of this suburban community, and threatened the water supply. The cleanup of this particular crude oil is not easy. The proposed Keystone Pipeline would carry far more oil: 800,000 barrels a day over 1,700 miles. And it’s just as dirty as the oil that spilled in Arkansas. The environmental legislative wish list is long... and urgent. An item often mentioned is a carbon tax. Levying such a tax would “put a price on carbon” and allow the economic system to phase out carbon over time. But any such tax would require the approval of Congress... and it would not pass this Congress, especially the House of Representatives. What Obama does control is the decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline. And for many environmentalists, that will either make or break him as a champion of Planet Earth.