Tag Archives: greenhouse gas emissions

The Obamas in Hawaii / A New Breed of Crops / Art Behind Bars

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President Obama and his family are in Hawaii for the holidays, and so are dozens of White House staff and journalists. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency will put in place new rules to regulate greenhouse gases. For undernourished people who live in remote areas, a new approach called biofortification may bring healthier diets. Some of the wealthiest people in America are pledging to give away most of their fortunes to charity. And finally, explore a photo gallery of art created by prison inmates.

The Obamas in Hawaii
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The Obamas are vacationing in Hawaii this week, and they’re not alone. Dozens of White House staff and journalists who cover the president have also traveled to the island state. A president is never truly on vacation. There are always reports to read, public appearances to be made, and unexpected issues to address. At right, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama travel by motorcade on Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

New Emissions Rules
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The U.S. government continues to use federal regulatory powers to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, most recently focusing on power plants and oil refineries, which produce nearly 40 percent of emissions in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will put in place new permit requirements for all heavily polluting industry, followed by specific greenhouse gas standards for power plants and oil refineries.

A New Breed of Crops
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Crop breeders are developing new varieties of seven staple food crops, each with high levels of essential micronutrients and each with potential for rewarding farmers who grow them with higher yields. This approach is called biofortification, and the goal is to bring healthier diets to people who rely on food staples for most of the calories they consume.

A Billionaires’ Pledge
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The two richest men in the United States, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, launched The Giving Pledge in June 2010, encouraging other billionaires, in the United States and abroad, to give away the bulk of their fortunes to philanthropic causes. As of December 2010, 57 billionaires have joined their campaign.

Photo Gallery: Art Behind Bars
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The Prison Creative Arts Project, founded in 1990 by University of Michigan professor William “Buzz” Alexander, helps prison inmates develop their creativity. The program encourages them to examine and even transform their lives. Explore a photo gallery of their work. At left, James Wilt’s self-portrait Yet Free, which identifies him by inmate number. The small cross in the upper left-hand corner is a symbol of his Christian faith.

Fighting Cholera in Haiti / Fresh Water Funds for Jordan / A Boost For African Farmers

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The U.S. is moving to speed aid to help Haiti fight a deadly cholera outbreak. Jordan is getting fresh water aid. In Africa, they’re turning to an age-old construction technique.  The U.S. enforces new fuel rules for trucks and buses. With just weeks remaining before its election, Sudan has its work cut out for it. And, finally, a photo gallery on a program to share agricultural techniques with African farmers.

U.S. Cholera Aid for Haiti
In response to the outbreak of cholera in Haiti, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a disaster declaration to speed U.S. funding and medical assistance to the country in recent days. Cholera has killed 259 people and infected more than 3,000 others in Haiti. At right, women cover their mouths and noses as they wait for their children to be treated for cholera symptoms.


A Grant for Jordan’s Water
The Obama administration is investing $275 million through the Millennium Challenge Corporation to help provide nearly two million Jordanians with reliable access to clean water and to address water scarcity.

Building Earthen Structures
Two American professors are sharing knowledge with Saudis on how to build, maintain and restore earthen structures, using natural resources such as soil, through a U.S. Embassy speakers program. Earthen construction may be more practical than modern construction techniques because of its durability and because it has a milder environmental impact.

Big Rigs Face New Fuel Rules
For the first time in U.S. history, the government is imposing fuel efficiency standards for trucks and buses, starting with vehicles that hit the market in 2013. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the new rules will save 500 million barrels of oil for vehicles of the model years 2014 through 2018, and 250 tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the life-time of the trucks.

In Sudan, the Vote Approaches
Authorities in Sudan face a tight deadline to complete preparations for a crucial set of votes in January that will decide on independence for Southern Sudan and Abyei, says General Scott Gration, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan. He called on the parties to come to a new round of talks in Ethiopia in late October “with an attitude of compromise.”

An African Delegation Learns about U.S. Agriculture
Recently, the U.S. welcomed African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) ministers and delegates to the Ninth AGOA Forum, in Kansas City Missouri, where the visitors got the chance to observe American agricultural practices first-hand. Find out more about their trip in this photo gallery. At left, delegates participate in a lively discussion with American farmer Tom Waters on chicken farming and feed strategy.

Directive from my boss

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President Obama, who I can also describe as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of my company, the U.S. federal government, ordered us to start measuring our greenhouse gas emissions and set targets within 90 days to reduce them by the year 2020.

In the president’s Executive Order, which he issued October 5, there are two important things to bear in mind with this requirement. One is that the U.S. federal government is the largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, occupying nearly 500,000 buildings, operating more than 600,000 vehicles, and purchasing more than $500 billion per year in goods and services. I am also one of more than 1.8 million civilian employees. In other words, that’s about the same number of employees as Walmart, the world’s largest employer, had in 2005.

Which brings me to the second point: President Obama wants his employees to lead by example “when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies.”

Along with coming up with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, we “feds” are also being asked to meet other targets such as 50 percent recycling and waste diversion by 2015, a 30 percent reduction in vehicle-fleet petroleum use by 2020, and a 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020.

I’m curious to see what plans the State Department will come up with by January 5, 2010. From my tiny little corner of the federal government, I can see one way of making my workplace more green: automatic hand dryers as an alternative to paper towels.

Obama proposes new fuel efficiency standards for vehicles

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Barack Obama

“We have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America,” President Obama said at the White House May 19.

The president’s plan, which would increase vehicles’ fuel efficiency standards over the next five years, is getting a lot of attention in both American and foreign media. “The goal is to set one national standard that will rapidly increase fuel efficiency, without compromising safety, by an average of 5 percent each year between 2012 and 2016,” Obama said.

While many federal agencies, state governments and car companies have said they support the president’s plan, it is still officially at this point just a proposal. Like other federal regulations, President Obama’s proposal will have to be formally drafted, reviewed, published in the Federal Register and open to the public for comment. It would provide a joint set of standards issued by the Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

By raising fuel efficiency standards to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon (15.09 kilometers per liter) on vehicles made in model years 2012 through 2016, approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil would be saved and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 900 million metric tons, the White House says. President Obama says the new rules will not impact consumers’ choices and ultimately will save Americans money on gas. What do you think of his proposal?