President-elect Obama has pledged that tackling the climate crisis and repowering America with clean energy will be central to his presidency. NRDC and a broad coalition of partners have prepared a road map, respectfully submitted to the transition team for consideration, with recommendations for achieving these goals. These bold measures will help channel American ingenuity into solving the economic, climate and environmental crises we now face.
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
A couple of weeks ago I noted some of President Obama's statements about transportation and land-development which showed that he cares about, and understands, important but oft-overlooked policies that have a huge influence on how much oil the nation...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Living Sustainably , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
Once again, I greet another cabinet appointment by President-elect Obama's with respect. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is a strong choice to lead the Department of Agriculture. His guidance will be essential on a host of issues facing the department, from restoring...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Moving Beyond Oil , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places , U.S. Law and Policy
I welcome the news that President-elect Obama has appointed Senator Ken Salazar at the Secretary of the Interior. After years of corruption and corporate dominance at the Interior Department, we desperately need to change the way America's national parks, public...continued→
Posted by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
President-elect Obama and his team of advisors have shown an unprecedented level of interest in carefully considering the complexities and competing interests that must be balanced--the interests of conservation, fishing, energy, and recreation--to effectively manage and protect our vast, depleted...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
President-elect Obama's choices for top environment posts reveal something very important: they tell us that Obama means what he says. He means it when he says he wants to protect the planet and tackle global warming. Plenty of politicians say...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Green Enterprise , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
It used to be that talk of the nation's electricity grid caused most people's eyes to glaze over. Now, thanks to a confluence of volatile energy prices, a green-oriented incoming president, and a cultural fascination with high tech gadgets, that...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Moving Beyond Oil , Reviving the World's Oceans , Solving Global Warming
Most people don't realize it, but the Secretary of Commerce has enormous influence over America's ocean resources. That's why I welcome the news that President-elect Obama is tapping Governor Bill Richardson for this position. He is well known for his...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Green Enterprise , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Just before Thanksgiving, I had the chance to introduce Google CEO Eric Schmidt at a talk he gave in New York City. The event, organized by NRDC Trustee Wendy Schmidt, was illuminating and entertaining thanks to Eric's dry humor and...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The Bureau of Reclamation was conceived at the start of the 20th century (originally as the Reclamation Service) to meet the needs of a world that no longer exists. Now, at the start of the 21st Century, the Bureau needs...continued→
Posted by Al Huang in Environmental Justice
The election of Obama as President provides a transformational opportunity to make good on the promise for an America where every person, regardless of their race or income, enjoys the right to a healthy environment. Over the past 8 years we've seen unprecedented...continued→
Posted by Daniel Rosenberg in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
This is my first blog post for NRDC, and with change in the air, it seems like a good time to be writing about what NRDC, our members, colleagues and allies hope will be a wholesale change in the way...continued→
Posted by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
As the excitement of the election transitions into action, we must ensure that the new administration is focused on our nation’s most critical environmental issues –like saving our sick oceans. Our oceans are a vital national and global resource. They...continued→
Posted by David Doniger in Solving Global Warming
A broad coalition of environmental organizations, including NRDC, unveiled today our "Transition to Green" - our recommendations for President-Elect Obama and his new administration. Our highest priority recommendations are addressed to taking quick and decisive action on climate and energy. ...continued→
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
"If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always gotten." -Tony Robbins When you think about transportation issues, what's the first thing that comes to mind? High gas prices and troubled bridges. There was the "bridge to...continued→
Posted by Kim Knowlton in Health and the Environment , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
In mid-November, I was hiking in the Hudson River Valley with my dog Emmett on a perfect (if unseasonably warm) autumn day, a jaunt that was marred only by my shock at the number of ticks picked off both dog...continued→
Posted by Josh Mogerman in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Did you know that a hefty chunk of your tax dollars go to an efficient squad of killers known to employ an array of heavy armaments and poisons to liquidate millions of targets every year? No, it’s not the...continued→
Posted by Lane Burt in Green Enterprise , Solving Global Warming
The green group transition recommendations to the incoming administration were released today, and I want to highlight some of the pieces in the section dealing with the Department of Energy. There are three main issues in this section, detailing how...continued→
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come under fire for a lot of missteps over the past 8 years. From recalls of "blockbuster medications" like Vioxx and Baycol, to bacterial contamination of spinach and tomatoes, to pet food contamination, to the...continued→
Posted by Chuck Clusen in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The Arctic Region Is under Assault by Global Warming The Arctic region of our earth is undergoing disastrous warming. The Arctic ice pack now shrinks to roughly half the size it had historically. While this year's ice pack decreased to...continued→
Posted by Jon Devine in Curbing Pollution , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places , U.S. Law and Policy
As many of my colleagues are describing today, NRDC and a host of partner groups in the environmental, conservation, and public health community have created a document, called "Transition to Green," which lays out a detailed set of policies that we...continued→
Posted by Josh Mogerman in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The Green Group transition document has a number of concrete and thoughtful suggestions for US Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS) in the new administration. Frankly, I’d be happy with a simple change of tone… We’ve been focused on the...continued→
Posted by John Walke in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
This morning a coalition of environmental and public health groups issued a report entitled Transition to Green, providing priority environmental recommendations for the Obama administration transition team. I co-chaired the committee responsible for developing priority recommendations for EPA, and also chaired...continued→
Posted by Jake Schmidt in Greening China , Solving Global Warming
Restoring America's leadership on global warming is no easy task. US leadership has been lost over a sustained period as the current Administration has failed to make progress on global warming. (Sadly this is time we don't have.) So, becoming...continued→
Posted by Frances Beinecke in Green Enterprise , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
After 35 years working as an environmental advocate, I have done my share of consensus building and coalition tending. It's not always easy finding common ground, even among those who are fighting for the same cause. But today the environmental...continued→
How to generate millions of jobs, break our dependence on oil and reduce the pollution that causes global warming.
