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what did obama do to help the environment

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"There's one upshot that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other," said U.s. President Barack Obama at the UN Climate Change Summit in 2014. "And that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate."

For the past viii years, as the 44th president of the United States, Obama has been at the helm of the world'southward largest and most influential economy. If anyone has had the power to change worldwide dependence on fossil fuels and tackle climate change, it was him. Only that doesn't mean he was able to just flip a switch and turn the world into a sustainable paradise. He faced obstacles everywhere he turned and fifty-fifty when information technology seemed similar he was leap to secure an environmental victory, new snares would emerge to hobble his ambitions.

Standing in his way were: the momentum of the global economic system, reluctance of other global leaders to make bold moves, and, above all, resistance from Republicans in Congress. Despite all this, Obama was able to arts and crafts an enduring legacy that set in motion the potential transformation of the US energy sector.

Merely was it enough?

"The real question is if the actions this administration took on renewable energy were at the scale necessary to confront the climate crisis," Jamie Henn, Strategic Communications Manager and Co-Founder of 350.org, an environmental activist organization, told Global Denizen. "The answer is, sadly, no. Obama did more than than any other president earlier him, but it however wasn't enough."

"That'south because climate change isn't just some piddling trouble — it'due south a major, civilisation-catastrophe threat," he said. "We need more than than just an ambitious policy approach, we demand an all-out clean free energy revolution.

"With [President-Elect Donald] Trump in the White Business firm, we're going to demand cities, states, businesses, banks, and everyday people to help drive action forward over the coming four years."

Read More: Trump's EPA Choice Scott Pruitt May Be the Worst Thing Ever to Happen to Planet Earth

And so what did Obama do to help the surround as president? Here are seven of his greatest environmental accomplishments:

He Championed the Outset Global Climate Agreement

The Paris climate understanding, otherwise known as COP21, was the first global understanding for tackling climate change e'er enacted. All previous attempts were stifled in some way, oftentimes by the U.s.. While the plan is ultimately modest in scope, it's the first time countries always collectively agreed to reducing carbon emissions.

Read More than: Information technology's Official: The World Will Work Together on Climate change

"The Paris understanding would not have happened without the support of Obama and Secretary of Land Kerry," Michael Gerrard, managing director of the Sabin Center for Climate Modify Law, told Global Denizen.

"Simply due to hostility in the Senate, which blocked ratification of whatever binding treaty, the Paris agreement was not nearly as strong as would be needed to meet the global temperature goals," he said.

He Forced Power Plants to Be Cleaner

This executive order went after the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions: power plants. Even though it was ultimately suspended by an unusual Supreme Court ruling, it sent a signal to the energy sector that reforms have to take place. Investments in more than efficient coal plants have boomed and free energy providers across the country are now investing more in renewables than fossil fuels. This shift has attracted bipartisan support because information technology makes so much economical sense. For instance, both Texas and Iowa are leaders in wind power.

Read More than: Everything Yous Need to Know Most Obama'south New Plan for the Environment

He Stopped Cars From Polluting So Much

In 2009, the Obama administration imposed new regulations for automobile emissions and, since then, automakers have had to dramatically amend fuel efficiency. Since there has been broad compliance with this ruling, with a few exceptions, information technology has had a big impact on per capita emissions.

"I call up the nearly consequential [effort] in terms of leading to reduced emissions was the tightened motor vehicles standards that were adopted in 2010," said Gerrard. "Those accept led to much cleaner cars and are saving consumers enormous amounts of money in reduced gasoline purchases."

He Fabricated Sure That Energy Use Is Efficient

Us households and businesses could exist using far less energy if simple measures were taken to improve efficiency. The easiest switch would exist to install LED lights everywhere, getting rid of terribly inefficient incandescent bulbs in the process. But appliances of all sorts — furnaces, refrigerators, air conditions, etc. — tend to use far more free energy than they need to.

Throughout his years equally president, Obama has escalated pressure level on appliance makers to improve efficiency standards. Today, more than 46 appliance categories take to run across college standards. Collectively, this means people and companies are using less energy and will cut more than 210 million tons of carbon emissions annually. (For an interesting look at how energy providers are helping to drive this change, read this piece.)

"The biggest missed opportunity was to practise fifty-fifty more than with the Recovery Act," Henn of 350.org said. "There were plans prepared for huge investments in mass transit and filigree modernization, merely they were shelved because the projects weren't 'shovel prepare' enough."

He Funded a Renewable Free energy Revolution

The Obama assistants has invested billions in renewable energy, kickstarting an manufacture that is beginning to transform the global energy sector and provide millions of jobs in the procedure. The president has also persuaded the individual sector to embrace the transition to renewable energy. Past 2014, the Department of Energy had invested $34 billion in renewables, turning a turn a profit in the process. In 2015, more than $4 billion in investments was committed past a private sector coalition led by the White House.

Read More: Solar, Air current Ability At present Aforementioned Toll as Fossil Fuels, Written report Says

"During his 2d term, President Obama shifted from an 'all of the to a higher place' energy policy to more of a 'go on it in the ground' approach thank you to the climate movement'southward strong and persistent activism," said Henn. "Information technology's easy for politicians to support renewable free energy, it's much harder to take on the fossil fuel industry.

"President Obama showed real courage when he rejected the Keystone 40 pipeline, delayed Dakota Admission, and began to protect more public lands and waters from fossil fuel development," Henn said.

He Protected the Planet

Obama has protected more than acres of land and water than whatsoever president in United states of america history. In total, 19 newly designated national monuments comprising 260 one thousand thousand acres will be protected from exploitation.

Image: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research/AP

These efforts will protect wildlife, limit fossil fuel extraction, and promote greater ecological sustainability.

Read More: Obama Creates First US National Monument in Atlantic Ocean

He Fabricated Farming and Fishing More Sustainable

Through a series of measures, Obama helped farmers to adapt to climate change through more sustainable practices that promote soil health, enhance nutrient and manure management, protect sensitive lands, and encourage.

His administration also went after the escalating trouble of overfishing, which has pushed countless fish species closer to extinction. By establishing marine sanctuaries and more finer managing how fish are caught, the assistants was able to restore many fisheries to safe levels.

Obama understands the risks of climate change and has washed a lot to safeguard the environment for hereafter generations. But his legacy could exist imperilled as the new administration changes the land'southward energy policies over the side by side four years.

Fortunately, the individual sector has decisively shifted toward clean energy and the momentum may be also great for whatsoever single administration to undermine.

"I think the momentum of growth volition keep, not mostly because of policies, but because of improvements in technologies and economics," Gerrard said.

Read More: 530 Companies Worth Trillions Telephone call on Trump to Support Clean Free energy

And if the Us continues to lead on environmental innovation, then Obama volition be recognized every bit a staunch and resolute opponent of climate change.

"From the stimulus package to Moniz'due south tenure at the Energy Department, this administration has been a champion of renewable energy," said Henn.

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Source: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/7-of-obamas-biggest-climate-change-victories/

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