Obama's first 100 hours in office I Obama vs Bush on the environment in their own words

President Obama took the first steps yesterday towards weaning America off its gas-guzzling habits as he told his country and a beleaguered motor industry to show the courage needed to tackle global warming.

In another decisive break with the Bush Administration, he signed executive orders to hasten the introduction of cleaner vehicles for a nation that is the world’s biggest polluter.

“Now is the time to make the tough choices,” he declared.

His White House statement yesterday sought to frame climate change — for so long scorned, ignored or treated as a Cinderella issue by George W. Bush — in the context of economic revival and national security.

“Year after year, decade after decade, we’ve chosen delay over decisive action, rigid ideology has overruled sound science, special interests have overshadowed common sense. For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change,” Mr Obama said. “The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My Administration will not deny facts. We will be guided by them.”

The President warned that America’s dependence on foreign oil “bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation and funds both sides of our struggle against terrorism”. If climate change was left unchecked, “violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines and irreversible catastrophe” could result.

Mr Obama ordered the Transportation Department to enforce a 2007 law requiring carmakers to increase fuel-efficiency on models for 2011. He also ordered an urgent review of a policy blocking California and 13 other states from imposing even stricter economy and emissions standards.

Carmakers have lobbied hard to stop such regulations, claiming that they would force them to produce two sets of vehicles or limit sales at a time when companies such as GM and Chrysler already need vast federal bailouts to stave off bankruptcy.

Even as Mr Obama spoke yesterday, GM cut another 2,000 jobs in Ohio and Michigan. The Detroit-based manufacturer has been criticised for concentrating on big 4x4 vehicles and will struggle to increase fuel efficiency from the current average of 27mpg to meet new standards of about 35mpg by 2020. The President said he would take account of the “unique challenges” facing carmakers but added: “We must help them thrive by building the cars of tomorrow.”

Yesterday’s measures were intended as merely the first instalment towards making good campaign promises of cutting US greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent over the next 41 years.

The White House believes that it can create millions of “green-collar jobs”, beginning with an $820 billion (£590 billion) economic stimulus plan that will pay for insulating buildings, funding investment in the renewable energy industry and installing a new national electricity grid.

The EU recognises that it will be difficult for Mr Obama to legislate before the Copenhagen conference this year when the international community hopes to agree a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. EU diplomats hope he is given a mandate from Congress before difficult talks with China and India, two of the world’s top polluters.

Yesterday, Todd Stern was appointed as US chief envoy for the Copenhagen talks. He performed a similar role during the Kyoto negotiations before the advent of Mr Bush — who refused to submit the treaty for ratification.

CO2 targets

Obama By 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels; by 2050, to reduce emissions by 80 per cent

EU By 2020 to reduce emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels

Bush By 2025 to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions

US greenhouse gas emissions In 1990 were 6,148 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents; by 2006 were 7,054 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents

Source: Times database

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