George W. Bush was one of the worst presidents in U.S. history in regards to the environment. President Obama has had his job cut out for him in working to advance conservation and green energy.
Here are a few of his accomplishments along with citations.
CONSERVATION
BROAD POLICY:
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Amendments Act of 2009. ref
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. ref
North American Wetlands Conservation Act. ref
Stewardship of the Ocean (established National Ocean Council ), our Coasts and the Great Lakes (Executive Order). ref
Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order). ref, ref
Established partnerships to share environmental technology with other countries. ref
FUNDING:
Increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. ref
Increased funding for national parks and forests. ref
$175 million of ARRA allocated for water conservation, $135 million of that in the West. ref
TARGETED AREAS:
Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic. ref, ref
Expanded access to places to hunt and fish. ref
Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration (Executive Order). ref, ref
Led effort to phase out whaling. ref
Pursued a wildfire management plan. ref
Encouraged more controlled burns to reduce wildfires. ref
Ordered removal of more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires. ref
GREEN ENERGY
BROAD POLICY
Established an Energy Partnership for the Americas. ref
Established the Biofuels Working Group to develop a comprehensive approach to alternative fuels. ref
Additional measures to advance clean energy/solar investments and job creation (ARRA). ref
Launched new Climate Service. ref
Worked toward deploying a global climate change research and monitoring system. ref
Implemented renewable fuels mandate of 36 billion gallons by 2022. ref
FUNDING:
More than doubled federal spending for research on clean fuels. ref
$60 billion in spending and tax incentives for renewable and clean energy. ref
Invested in all types of alternative energy. ref
Increased funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. ref
Invested $2 billion in solar power, hailed new jobs. ref, ref, ref
Established consumer tax credit for plug-in hybrid cars. ref, ref
Provided grants to encourage energy-efficient building codes. ref
Doubled funding for bicycling, walking projects ref, ref
(DOL) Dedicated $100 million in Energy Training Partnership green jobs training grants. ref
(DOL) Dedicated $150 million for Pathways Out of Poverty green jobs training grants. ref
$8 billion combined public/pvt funding committed to develop Smart Power Grid (part of ARRA). ref
Incentivized farmers to use more renewable energy and be more energy efficient. ref
TARGETED ACTIONS:
Purchased fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government. ref
Ordered 5,000 hybrids for federal fleet. ref
(NIST) Completed first release of Smart Grid framework. ref
Created job training programs in clean technologies for displaced workers. ref
Created Green Vet Initiative to promote environmental jobs for veterans. ref
Established program to convert manufacturing centers into clean technology leaders. ref
RESULTS:
First President to create detailed vision for clean energy economy. ref
Wind power growth up 39% due to government stimulus. ref
Study: Almost 5 million charging stations by 2015. ref
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