November 25, 2008
Science and Environmental Organizations Present Obama Transition Team with Prescription for First 100 Days and Beyond
Statement by Kevin Knobloch, Union of Concerned Scientists
WASHINGTON (November 25, 2008) – The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the nation's leading science-based policy organization, joined with more than two dozen environmental groups to produce a 340-page prescription detailing the steps the new Obama administration should take to jumpstart the economy, protect the environment, and enhance national security. The organizations, which have a combined membership of millions across the country, delivered the document to the Obama transition team late yesterday afternoon. (For a copy of the document, go to: www.saveourenvironment.org.)
Below is a statement by UCS President Kevin Knobloch:
"President-elect Obama has a popular mandate to move expeditiously to reduce our dependence on oil, curb global warming pollution, and pull the country out of recession. We're encouraged that he has signaled that his first order of business will be developing an economic investment package that will include investments in renewable energy and an upgrade and expansion of the electricity transmission grid, generating millions of new jobs.
"With his strong statement last week, President-elect Obama also communicated his intent to immediately begin working with congressional leaders to craft a strong climate bill. Congress must promptly pass legislation reducing U.S. global warming emissions at least 80 percent by mid-century to give us a chance to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. The president-elect understands this. His leadership will be paramount to pushing the right bill through Congress.
"The new administration also must restore scientific integrity in the federal government. Our policymakers need unfettered, independent science to make the right decisions.
"Science has been under siege during the past eight years. Political appointees have run roughshod over federal scientists, altering or suppressing their findings or skewing them to fit the administration's agenda. We are heartened that President-elect Obama has said that under his administration, government decisions will be based on the best available science, not on ideology.
"Finally, President-elect Obama has pledged to replace the culture of secrecy at federal science agencies with one of openness. When decisions are made in the open, it is much more difficult to suppress or manipulate scientific information to justify predetermined decisions. The president-elect must act quickly to create a thriving federal scientific enterprise."
The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
