David Bookbinder argues that the Obama Administration dragged its feet on climate change, only implementing last-minute actions that will be easy to reverse.
According to David Bookbinder, the Obama Administration's climate legacy is being thoroughly greenwashed. Early in his presidency, Bookbinder writes, Obama's policies differed very little from Bush's: "Both fought mightily to avoid greenhouse gas regulation — Bush because he didn't care about the issue, Obama because it was a lower priority than health care and, after the Affordable Care Act passed, because of fear of the political consequences.">
While Obama did move on climate during his second term, most of those regulations will be easy for Trump and the Republicans to undo. "Regulations that came out in the second half of 2016 can be killed via the Congressional Review Act (CRA) — eliminated through a simple-majority vote of both houses of Congress, and the president's signature."
Bookbinder says credit belongs to California for establishing tougher emissions standard for the auto industry, which the EPA simply rubber-stamped. "Obama's climate strategy was a sound one, in short, only if he was 100 percent sure that Hillary Clinton (or another Democrat) would succeed him."
FULL STORY: Obama had a chance to really fight climate change. He blew it.
Supreme Court To Hear Challenge to EPA Powers
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Scott Pruitt and the 'Paradigm Shift' at Trump's EPA
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
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World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
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U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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