The New American President

Barack Obama's election as President has heralded a new era not only in politics but also in environmentalism. The League of Conservation Voters has given Barack Obama the highest lifetime rating of anyone currently running for president. As per his election campaign, Obama has promised to make combating global warming a top priority. Obama's stance includes ensuring that 10 percent of America's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025; implementing an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and helping create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.

The environment movement could not have found a better ally. Especially in these times when the financial crisis is making even the most die-hard environmentalist rethink his/her commitment to the cause. As markets worldwide slow down, industries in the developed world are putting pressure on their governments in the industrialized world to be less stringent about climate change goals. But as we have written earlier, the fight against global warming can not and should not be stopped, nor should there be any reduction in the intensity of the efforts.

In this context, it is heartening to have a man who believes in the importance of safeguarding the environment and who understands the urgency of the need for action, as President. Of course, it is not going to be smooth sailing and certainly Obama will encounter road-blocks and hiccups. But we can be assured that he will definitely make the strongest effort to rein in climate change.