President Obama signed an executive order today that commits the federal government to massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The White House press release notes: “The Federal government occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates more than 600,000 vehicles, employs more than 1.8 million civilians, and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services. ” It mandates the submission of targets for GHG emission reductions for 2020 within 90 days. It further mandates considerable reductions in petroleum use in federal fleets, 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020, 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015, and implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement, among other things. Here’s a little more on the story from Reuters.
For those who don’t think the President is about making “change you can believe in” then this order, EPA’s recent rule-making initiative on GHG, the diplomatic push he’s been making all year through the Major Economies Forum on Climate and Energy, the enhanced CAFE standards he’s pushed through, the staff he’s appointed, and the major pronouncements he’s been making all along, should be proof that he’s putting his money where his mouth is. The Democrats in Congress are on it too.
As Ming Ming would say: “This is sewius!“