Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
november 2015
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federal agencies & administration
President Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline
November 6, 2015
President Obama announced his rejection of the construction of TransCanada Corporation’s Keystone XL pipeline this November. Obama stated that his basis for the rejection was that the pipeline would destabilize efforts to combat global warming. The proposed pipeline would have transported crude oil from Canadian tar sands through the United States to ports in the Gulf of Mexico.
In his announcement, President Obama stated that the pipeline would not lower gas prices or have a long-term impact on job creation. He also stated that the construction of the pipeline would not contribute to the reduction of America’s dependence on foreign oil.
Sources: eenews, White House press release
White House announces federal agencies’ greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2016
November 23, 2015
The Obama Administration released an executive order today outlining new greenhouse gas emissions targets for federal agencies for 2016. The Administration’s carbon reduction plan would cut carbon emissions from federal agencies by 41.8 percent from 2008 to 2025, higher than the previously announced target of 40 percent announced last March.
A White House press release lists some of the individual agencies and explains individual cuts that need to be made to reach the new goal for 2016. The agencies listed in the release include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy (DOE). Plans include installing solar power technologies and other renewable power sources at some DOE National Laboratories.
Sources: White House Press Release, eenews