Welcome to Environmentalists for Obama

A place for environmentalists to organize and speak out in support of President Obama and his environmental accomplishments.

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  • The choice on energy independence

    By Kelley Greenman on

    Presidents have been talking about reducing our dependence on foreign oil for nearly 40 years, and after only three years in office President Obama has decreased our reliance on foreign oil more than any other president since Reagan.

    In fact, our reliance on foreign oil is currently at the lowest level it has been in 20 years.

    We are doing so well that the President strengthened his original energy independence goal last month, setting the bar even higher and proposing to cut our net oil imports in half by the end of the decade. This plan will not only create more American jobs, it will improve the safety of our troops abroad, and continue to foster innovation as we strive for more fuel efficient technology, like vehicles.

    Not many people realize this, but the President’s fuel economy standards will actually save us 2.2 million barrels of oil each day – more than we import from the Middle East today. On top of that, these standards are saving consumers over $8,000 at the pump, and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking every car off the road for a year.

    Mitt Romney opposes President Obama’s fuel economy standards and would fail to achieve his goal of energy independence because of it. Just check out this graph. Industry expects oil production to be exactly the same under both candidates, but under Mitt Romney our need for foreign oil would be larger than the amount of oil we produce, creating an energy gap that he can’t make up. And guess what? These are using his numbers – which means he knows his plan doesn’t add up and just isn’t being up front with voters.

    This is just another example of Romney proposing lofty goals that don’t add up. And another reason for you to talk to your friends about what is at stake in this election and sign up to volunteer.

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The President's Accomplishments for the Environment

Promoting Clean Energy

The President has made historic progress on measures to reduce carbon pollution in the United States and is supporting the transition toward a clean energy economy.

  • Doubling renewable energy: Electricity generation from renewable sources is on track to double by the end of 2012, and our reliance on foreign oil is at a 16-year low

  • Investing in clean energy: The Obama administration has invested in more than 15,000 clean energy projects across the country, supporting nearly 225,000 jobs

  • Proposed an ambitious clean energy standard for America: By 2035, we will generate 80 percent of our electricity from a diverse set of clean energy sources

Reducing Carbon Pollution

President Obama has taken historic action to reduce greenhouse gases and toxic air pollution, cleaning up the air we breathe and protecting our environment from harmful emissions that contribute to climate change.

  • Developed historic fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double fuel economy for cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg by 2025, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billion metric tons, and save families thousands of dollars at the pump

  • Proposed the first-ever carbon pollution standards for new coal and oil-fired power plants, which will limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants—the nation’s single largest source of carbon pollution

  • Set a carbon pollution reduction target for the federal government that aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the federal government by 28 percent by 2020—the largest single consumer of energy in the country

Preserving Our National Treasures

President Obama has laid the foundation for a smarter environmental strategy where protecting our natural resources creates jobs, preserves habitat, and ensures that our nation’s outdoor heritage can be enjoyed by future generations.

  • Signed one of the largest expansions of wilderness protections in a generation, setting aside more than 2 million acres as protected wilderness

  • Working to restore key ecosystems like the Everglades, Great Lakes, and Chesapeake Bay—investments that will contribute approximately $427 million and 3,200 jobs to local communities

  • Established a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes, and has helped restore more than 5,200 acres of coastal habitat and protect more than 54,000 acres of coastal areas

  • Issued a National Clean Water Framework that will help ensure the integrity of the waters Americans rely on for drinking, swimming, and fishing, and that support farming, recreation, tourism, and economic growth

Cleaning Up the Air We Breathe

President Obama is holding polluters accountable and establishing safeguards to protect the health of millions of Americans—because he knows we can create jobs while reducing air pollution.

  • Established the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic, and other toxic air pollution from power plants—addressing one of the largest remaining sources of this dangerous pollution. When fully implemented, this new rule will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 cases of asthma symptoms each year.

  • Passed historic public health protections against soot and smog-forming pollution that travels across state lines, which will reduce soot and smog pollution by over 50 percent and cut down on health problems in areas downwind from power plants