Hello. My name's Doug and I'm an obsessive-compulsive environmentalist.
When the idea of summarizing the environmental actions of President Barack Obama's first 10 days in office was first proposed to me, my inner political junkie went into full-blown get happy mode. Soon after, the obsessive-compulsive in me kicked in, and yes, I'm obsessive compulsive to the nth degree. Especially about numbers.
But there's a method to my compulsion. Why stop at 10 days? Why not develop an ongoing progress report at numbers to which we in America seem to attach great significance?
Consider this to be the first in a series; The Obama Scorecard for Obsessive-Compulsive Environmentalists.
The First 10 Days In Office
I have previously reported that a month before his inauguration, Obama was already making some personnel decisions which signaled a full-fledged embrace of science and environment.
The value of those who advise the president is primo - assuming the president possesses adequate intellectual curiosity, a trait many would argue has been absent from the oval office during the last eight years - because the advisers are instrumental in helping the president formulate the policies that he and those who represent his office ultimately advocate publicly. With that in mind, Obama's choices for his science and technology team, taken in tandem with the nomination of Steven Chu as Energy Secretary (which is a cabinet-level appointment), may be cause for hope.
Grade: B Could rise to an A depending on results of pending assignments and tests.
January 20, 2009
After being sworn in, the Obama administration moved quickly on day one.
Only hours into his presidency, Barack Obama has ordered a freeze on all the new and pending federal regulations that the Bush administration pushed through in its final days...Among the rules that have been frozen is one that would have made it easier for factories and refineries to expand without applying for new federal pollution permits. Another would have removed federal protection for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes. Another would have opened areas of Oregon to logging. Another would have opened 2 million acres of public land in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah for oil-shale drilling. And another would have helped set in motion the commercialization of meat from genetically modified animals.
[...]
President Obama's order successfully blocked several of the Bush administration's late-term rules, but many went into effect before he took office, meaning that reversing them will probably take years. The nonprofit investigative journalism shop ProPublica has been tracking new rules from the Bush administration over the past two months. Of the 65 rules they list, 23 went into effect before Obama's inaguration; one-third of those new rules went into force fewer than three days before Obama took office.
Probably the most significant of the environmental rules already in force is a change to the Endangered Species Act that eases requirements for federal agencies to consult with scientists at the Fish and Wildlife or National Marine Fisheries services about the effects of their actions on threatened species. Under the new rule, which took effect nine days before Obama's inauguration, federal agencies can in many cases simply check with their own personnel to determine if their projects will harm any of the 1,247 animal and 747 plant species listed as endangered or threatened.
Other rules that have already gone into effect include ones that make it easier for mining companies to dump debris from mountaintop removal into waterways, allow drilling for uranium near the Grand Canyon, eliminate requirements that factory farms report on air pollution from animal waste and let them voluntarily determine whether or not they need a permit to discharge animal waste into waterways, relax limits on airborne lead emissions, and allow people to bring loaded guns into some national parks.
Grade: B+ Could rise to an A depending on results of pending assignments and tests. The scope is massive and the action was swift, which portend good things and are the factors that elevated this from a B to a B+, but we'll wait and see how these play out when the rubber hits the road.
January 23, 2009
On day four, Obama undid the very first action of the George W. Bush presidency.
President Obama yesterday lifted a ban on U.S. funding for international health groups that perform abortions, promote legalizing the procedure or provide counseling about terminating pregnancies.
Obama issued a memorandum rescinding the Mexico City Policy, also known as the "global gag rule," which President Ronald Reagan originally instituted in 1984, President Bill Clinton reversed in 1993 and President George W. Bush revived in 2001.
The memorandum revokes Bush's order, calling the limitations on funding "excessively broad" and adding that "they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family programs in foreign nations." In an accompanying statement, Obama said he would also work with Congress to restore U.S. funding support for the United Nations Population Fund "to reduce poverty, improve the health of women and children, prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries."
Grade: A Immediate, actionable impact. Good to see.
January 26, 2009
On day seven, the scientists went to work.
President Barack Obama declared Monday that California's pioneering vehicle emissions controls, blocked for years by the Bush administration, will help launch a national effort to tackle global warming.
"We will make it clear to the world that America is ready to lead," Obama said at an elaborate East Room ceremony attended by industry leaders and advocacy groups.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state officials praised Obama's decision to order a swift review of the state's request for a waiver under the Clean Air Act, allowing California to enforce strict limits on tailpipe emissions. At least 14 other states have adopted the California standard, with four more in the process, representing about half the nation's population.
Political leaders on all sides expect the review by the Environmental Protection Agency will lead to approval of the California standard soon.
There is something very significant in this declaration, which Hilzoy at the Washington Monthly underscores:
I'm glad Obama has not actually ordered the EPA to approve California's application. The scientists at the EPA ought to be making that decision, not the President. When the Bush administration denied California's application a little over a year ago, it did so against the advice of the EPA staff. I didn't like it then, and I wouldn't like it now.
Of course, the fact that the EPA staff has already concluded that California's application ought to go forward does take some of the suspense out of the decision they will now be allowed to make.
Grade: B+ Letting the scientists be scientists. Gives the appearance of a real cultural change in that milieu. Actual results will affect final grade.
January 20, 2009, A Momentary Lapse Between Two Presidencies
Here's a final item that occurred at 12:01 pm on inauguration day, the moment that the Bush 43 presidency officially ended and a few minutes before Obama was actually sworn in. The new version of www.WhiteHouse.gov launched and there was only one disorder or disease specifically addressed in the administration's agenda. It's a doozy and a surprise. The bullet points:
1. Increased funding for research, treatment, screenings, public awareness and support services for autism spectrum disorders.
2. "Life-long services" for people with autism spectrum disorders, as children and as adults. Many parents struggle to find and pay for screening and treatments for their children, but there is even less coverage and capacity for adults with autism-based impairments
3. More funding for the 2006 Combating Autism Act, as well as improving state and federal autism programs.
4. Universal screening for all infants for autism disorders, as well as re-screening for all 2-year-olds. This is the biggie; children are currently screened only if parents or pediatricians voice a concern, so too many children aren't diagnosed until they enter elementary school. The earlier treatment starts, the more effective it is, and a national screening program would help reduce the number of kids falling through the cracks. It would also be a huge undertaking, at a time when both government and privately insured health care is foundering.
Grade: To Be Determined Simply put, we have an epidemic on our hands. According to official figures, 1 in 150 children are now on the autism spectrum, with research in progress suggesting that those numbers may actually be higher. Reasonable arguments can be made about the exclusion of any other disease, disability or disorder from the site at this time, but the fact is that this administration is only 10 days old as I write this. At minimum, we have a glimpse of an out-of-the-box approach to well-being that is encouraging.
A Final Note
Ding, dong, the oil companies have been removed from the oval office, courtesy of the American voters. The industry mouthpieces, a/k/a global warming denialists have always been statistically insignificant both in number and scientific credibility, but during the last eight years, their voices have been tuned to a disproportionate volume due to their petroleum-soaked sugar daddies. It is gratifying to see that these voices have now been reduced to concern troll status. Deservedly so.
Related Reading:
Climate Bill 2009: Top Priority..or?
What Environmental Leaders Can Learn About Obama's Mastery of Social Media
