TckTckTck partners respond to the U.S. election

Creative Commons: Worchester Academy, 2012

The United States is the world’s second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases; and increasingly seen as blocking international efforts to build an ambitious and legally binding global climate change treaty, largely because of the country’s national politics. Those factors and more had many of our partners focused on the country’s General Election this week. Here’s a quick round up of some of their reactions.

• Greenpeace International’s Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo, expressed cautious optimism.
• CERES put out a statement calling on “President Obama and Congress to expand clean energy with the goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020 and 30% by 2030; reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels that avoid the worst impacts of climate change and build the resilience of our communities as they prepare for more pronounced extreme weather, such as last week’s devastating Hurricane Sandy.”
• WRI president, Andrew Steer, put out a litany of suggestions for the Obama administration, including putting a price on carbon and taking a more constructive role in international negotiations.
• The Environmental Defense Fund used Bloomberg Businesses comment section to urge pricing carbon, cutting HFC gasses, promoting clean energy and efficiency and continuing to use the EPA.
• The Climate Group is calling for an ‘American Clean Revolution.’
• A blog from the Sierra Club used the moment to take the pulse on their fight against coal, laying out their hopes and plans during the Obama administration’s next four years.
• The Union of Concerned Scientists director of strategy and policy focused his suggestions on scientific integrity, communicating climate issues and solutions to the American people, curbing oil use, investing in sustainable agriculture and using federal agencies to get around congressional gridlock.
• Friends of the Earth is among a growing group asking Obama to repudiate his all of the above energy strategy; convene a high-level national climate change summit; and hold the line on Keystone XL. Read more.
• Oil Change International focused on voters’ rejection of candidates backed by big oil and what it might mean for the future.

This post originally appeared as part of TckTckTck’s Fresh Air Brief. To sign up for this weekly email update, please click here.