” Yes”, Obama can, and so he did, with the Executive Order for the US Federal Government.
“As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the federal government can and should 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,” said President Obama.
Even though the US media paid little attention to President Obama’s Executive order on October 7th, that requires federal agencies to set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2020 within 90 days it might have made up for indirectly by the international community with the reward of the Nobel Peace Prize announcement. The Executive Order exerts Obama’s Presidential power and his commitment towards action when our bi-partisan Senate is stalled with passing the Energy Bill. A timely action when the world is looking for an example from the USA, entering into COP15 this December.
“This Executive Order builds on the momentum of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy and demonstrates the federal government’s commitment, over and above what is already being done, to reducing emissions and saving money,” he said.
The Executive Order goes beyond just cutting gree house gasses and addressing anthropogenic climate change it creates structure within the Federal Government to lessen it’s “King Kong” size carbon foot print within EPA, FEMA, HUD, DOE, DOT, and more.
President Obama requires agencies to meet a number of energy, water, and waste reduction targets, including in this Exec. Order:
- 30 percent reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
- 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
- 50 percent recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
- 95 percent of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements;
- Implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement;
- Implementation of the storm water provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, section 438; and
- Development of guidance for sustainable Federal building locations in alignment with the Livability Principles put forward by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
New measures call for all federal agencies to comply with new standards for net zero buildings, electric vehicle fleets, and energy- conscious office practices, and more, amongst the solid practices towards a fully sustainable path. Integration of energy star appliances, lighting efficiency measures, water conservation, waste reduction and support of sustainable communities, are called for combined with a transparency for reporting specific measurable results, at a pace of response unprecedented in the USA federal government.
Integration via using the web is stressed as is a process of evaluating independent contractors that are awarded government contracts encourage a president of environmental practices. This Exec Order is really comprehensive, click here to read.
This action reminds me of the story of the woman who asked the Budhist Monk to tell her son to not to eat sugar. The Monk replied, “Have your son come back next week.” That next week he told the son, as the mother requested, not to eat sugar. Smiling, he said to the woman,” I couldn’t tell him last week while I was still eating sugar…”
