Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Al Gore vs Barack Obama on global warming

In a new 7,000 word essay for Rolling Stone, former Vice President Al Gore offers both praise and criticism for President Barack Obama’s handling of the climate crisis.

On the one hand, Gore highlight’s a number of the Obama administration’s achievements on the climate change front:
  • Inclusion of clean energy and climate provisions in the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009
  • Historic passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 by the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Improved fuel efficiency standards covering 2012-2016 car and truck models
  • Got the ball rolling on EPA action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
  • Proposed elimination of subsidies for the oil and gas industry 

On the other hand, Gore takes Obama to task for failing to lead on climate change:
  • Failed to push climate legislation through the U.S. Senate, contributing to the failure of the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen
  • Called for a major expansions of off-shore oil drilling in the U.S. 

Read Al Gore’s complete essay on RollingStone.com

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