Obama Victory, Sandy Give Enviros Hopes For Climate Change Action

President Obama actually mentioned climate change in his victory speech last night.



"With President Barack Obama's reelection victory unfolding against the backdrop of an East Coast brought to its knees by last week's historically violent storm, Hurricane Sandy -- an event that in many minds is linked, directly or indirectly, to a rapidly warming planet -- environmental groups expressed guarded hope late Tuesday that a new opportunity was at hand to address climate change and a diverse menu of other green issues that they say the president proved either unwilling, or unable, to fully shoulder during his first four years.

'With his reelection, President Obama has the opportunity to fulfill the promise of his campaign and tackle the greatest challenges of our generation,' said Andrew Steer, the president of the World Resources Institute, in an emailed statement late Tuesday night. 'At the top of the list should be climate change -- which is already taking a serious toll on people, property, resources and the economy.'

Just what the president might do on this and other environmental fronts is unclear. Congressional races across the country appear to have left Capitol Hill as divided as ever, and with a fiscal crisis looming, the president could conceivably face even stiffer winds as he enters his second term. That is unlikely, however, to stop the nation's environmental advocates -- newly energized by the storm that has put climate change at the forefront of many people's minds -- from pressing the president for bold action."

Tom Zeller Jr. reports for the Huffington Post November 7, 2012.

SEE ALSO:

Fossil Industry: Harsher Energy Regs Coming in Obama's Second Term (Reuters)

"What Does Obama's Victory Mean for Action on Global Warming?" (Guardian/Damian Carrington's Environment Blog)

"Enviros to Obama: This Time, Don’T Forget Climate Change" (San Francisco Chronicle blog/David R. Baker)

Source: Huffington Post, 11/07/2012