Obama to outline environmental future

Environmental issues are expected to feature in president Barack Obama's State of the Union address, moving that economic progress does not have to come at the expense of the environment.

Many commentators have questioned the expense of Obama's environmental initiatives recently considering the state of the American economy.

Environmental regulation, such as the mercury rule, is seen by industry figures as being an obstruction to job creation. However, public health efforts are likely to generate billions of dollars for the economy, according to a report by the Guardian.

A recent discussion among the G77 group of developing nations has called for 'robust compliance' among the developed nations toward the Kyoto protocol and the Durban agreement. China and India were particularly vocal in the recent Durban summit, as both countries seem to have the most to lose (economically) over the stringent new targets.

The Obama administration has certainly showed strong support and willingness to support environmental issues. Recent rules from the US Environmental Protection Agency will assist in cutting interstate pollution power plants and improve fuel efficiency for cars.

Posted by Joseph Hutton