With President Obama's election comes a new term of opportunity for the environment. Although the environment was not an issue in the election, President Obama made it clear in his acceptance speech that climate change will be a major issue he will address.
According to individuals who have communicated with senior administration officials, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue regulations on the production of fossil fuels and promote cleaner energy. The EPA plans on enacting stricter restrictions on pollution from power plants, soot emissions, fracking, and truck efficiency.
There are high expectations from environmentalists for the President's second term. Michael Brune, the executive director of the Sierra Club, is no exception, "What we expect is the president to deliver on climate, roll up his sleeves and build on the modest success of what he's done so far."
But, more than just environmentalists are excited for the future of American energy. Since Obama adopts a energy strategy that includes the advancement of basically all domestic energy, even the oil and gas producers agree with Obama's view on energy. American Petroleum Institutes' president Jack Gerard claims the President's second term could be good for the oil and gas industry, saying "the president's views have moved 180 degrees from where they were two years ago."With all this speculation of how strict regulations will be or if a carbon tax will be enacted, the EPA will probably utilize its authority from the Clean Air Act to improve the efficiency of buildings to avoid controversy.
Eilperin, Juliet, and Steven Mufson. "Federal Efforts to Curb Greenhouse Gases to Continue." The Washington Post Nov 08 2012: A.25. National Newspapers Core. 16 Nov. 2012
Will the Democrats and Republicans be able to agree on a plan to enact environmental regulation?
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