The Obama Administration: On the Green Track

Less than a week ago, Barack Obama, stood in Grant Park, Chicago and claimed victory in one of the most exciting presidential races the American history. On that brisk November evening, the President-elect addressed an international audience, reaffirming America’s democracy and promising to bring change to the United States of America. With seventy-one days left until Barack Obama is sworn in as the President of the United States, America awaits the policies and appointments of the Obama Administration. The President-elect now starts to assemble his team that will lead America over the next four years, as the cabinet starts to take shape we can start to see what types of policies will be instilled. The plethora of information available about Obama’s policies, allows us to analyze and speculate about what the policies and appointees mean for ‘green’ developers.

The future of the built environment in America is directly related to Urban Policy. Barack Obama believes that the federal government needs to do a better job in strengthening ‘main street’ throughout the nation, his comprehensive plan includes stimulating economics in metropolitan regions, reform housing, curb poverty, foster the livability of cities, increase urban education, reform in law enforcement and homeland security and to provide support for families. According to Barack Obama’s website, the president-elect plans to ‘create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs.’ In a statement delivered by Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s transition team co-chair, stated that “[Barack Obama] understands …that local government [will] play a vital role as we try to jump start our economy… there are so many different agencies that really can impact urban America and to have one person whose job it is to really pull all of that together, is really a critical position.” The Obama team has not appointed anyone to that post yet.

Change was the main theme of the Obama campaign, and there might not be a more drastic change in policy than the difference between the Bush administration and the Obama administration as it relates to the environment. After eight years of repealing environmental protections set in place by the Clinton administration, giving tax breaks to oil and car companies and neglecting the signs of a planet in peril, the Obama administration vows to change. Fighting climate change by implementing policies that will reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent by 2050, investing in Clean Energy technologies that will supplement our economy and create millions of new jobs, Obama plans to increase fuel economy standards, foster more livable and sustainable communities. President-elect Obama’s administration recognizes that climate change is a global issue and will work with international groups to fight global warming, and will defend against any further deforestation of tropical rain forests. Clean air, clean water and healthier communities complete Obama’s environmental plan. As for who spearheads this effort, there has been speculation of Robert Kennedy Jr. being asked to join the Obama Administration by becoming the Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency. Kennedy, who has been a long time attorney and activist for various environmental issues is an exciting choice for the EPA. The EPA which ‘leads the nations environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts…[in order] to protect human health and the environment.’ Another name being floated around for the Secretary of the EPA is Robert Sussman. Sussman who served as Deputy Administrator of the EPA under the Clinton Administration has more recently headed the environmental law practice at Latham & Watkins. Both of the aforementioned people are exciting possibilities and will bring progressive reform to the EPA.

‘America has always risen to great challenges, and our dependence on oil is one of the greatest we have ever faced…For decades, Washington has failed to solve this problem because of partnership, the undue influence of special interest, and politicians who would rather propose gimmicks to get them through an election instead of long-term solutions that will get America closer to energy independence.’ This inefficiency accompanied with the recent economic downtown, the skyrocketing price of gas and the increasing amount of layoffs affecting working class families, has the country looking for relief through the President-Elect’s energy plan. Obama has specified three main proponents to his ‘New Engery for America’ plan, and they are; create five million Green Collar jobs, establish a bold new national goal on energy efficiency and to create a domestically produced clean American energy that will power America into the future. Many names have been floating around for the Secretary of Energy including, but not limited to, Dan Reicher, Ed Rendell, Jason Grument, Steve Westly, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Domenici. The short, bipartisan list of politicians, academics and businessmen are well qualified and will have the opportunity to institute change for the better in the United States of America’s Energy policy.

‘The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.' There are many factors that will go into deciding the path the United States follows the next four years. There are several issues that have been hot topics throughout the campaign season, however none maybe more important to Americans than the slew of issues that deal with the sustainable built environment. As I explored above, the economy, the creation of new jobs in America, decreasing our dependence of foreign oil and the fight against global warming are all intertwined in creating a better America.