Energy, Climate Change,
and Our Environment

The President has taken unprecedented action to build the foundation for a clean energy economy, tackle the issue of climate change, and protect our environment.

Energy and Environment Latest News

  • By the Numbers: $7,610

    Posted by Matt Compton on March 12, 2012 at 5:53 PM EDT

    By the Numbers (March 12, 2012)

    As gas prices rise, oil companies just watch their profits increase. And yet, they're still subsidized by Congress to the tune of $4 billion a year.

    That's about $7,610 every minute.

    To learn more about why gas prices are on the rise and President Obama's strategy to take control of our energy future and avoid gas spike prices in the future, check out our new infographic.

    Want to know more about President Obama’s blueprint for an America built on homegrown energy? Here’s everything you need to know.

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  • The Facts on Gas Prices: Infographic

    Posted by Matt Compton on March 12, 2012 at 4:55 PM EDT

    Here are the facts: The United States produced more than 2 billion barrels of crude oil in 2011. Domestic oil production has climbed every year since President Obama took office, and our dependence on foreign oil is at its lowest level since the 1990s. But even as we drill more, gas prices continue to rise.

    If you want to know why President Obama says that pursuing an all-of-the-above strategy is only way to secure our energy future, check out our infographic that explains the President's plan and its relationship to gas prices.

    View the Gas Prices Infographic (March 12, 2012)

     

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  • The Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future: One-Year Progress Report

    Posted by Heather Zichal on March 12, 2012 at 11:59 AM EDT

    One year ago, the President put forward a comprehensive plan in the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that outlined the Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy – a strategy aimed at reducing our reliance on foreign oil, saving families and businesses money at the pump, and positioning the United States as the global leader in clean energy.

    Today, the President received a new progress report, showcasing the Administration’s historic achievements in each of these areas. The accomplishments in this report, which represent the efforts of six Federal agencies, underscore the Administration’s commitment over the past three years to promoting an all-hands-on-deck, all-of-the-above approach to American energy and building a more secure energy future.

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  • Weekly Address: Investing in a Clean Energy Future

    Posted by Matt Compton on March 10, 2012 at 6:30 AM EDT

    Speaking from a factory in Virginia, President Obama talks about how companies are creating more jobs in the United States, making better products than ever before, and how many are developing new technologies that are reducing our dependence on foreign oil and saving families money at the pump.

    Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

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  • Reducing Greenhouse Gas Pollution: Protecting Communities and Strengthening the Economy

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on March 9, 2012 at 7:45 PM EDT

    In January 2010, President Obama announced that the Federal Government would reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operations by 28 percent by 2020. In his announcement the President remarked, “As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient.”

    This goal wasn’t just about improving the operations of government, but about living up to the Federal Government’s responsibility to all Americans to improve our economy and environment. In meeting this pollution reduction target, the Government will help American taxpayers avoid up to $11 billion in energy costs.

    In line with this effort, the Council on Environment Quality (CEQ) is releasing revised GHG emissions accounting guidance for Federal agencies. The draft proposes revisions to guidance released in October 2010, which established Government-wide requirements for measuring and reporting GHG emissions associated with Federal agency operations. As agencies learn from their experience implementing the initial guidance, we are applying this knowledge in our continual quest to make Federal emissions reporting as accurate as possible. 

    As part of our Open Government initiative at CEQ, we are giving the public an opportunity to review this guidance and provide us with feedback. CEQ will review all public comments submitted in the next 30 days before finalizing the updated guidance.

    We look forward to hearing from all of you as we continue to work toward the President’s goal to lower costs, reduce pollution, and transition to a cleaner, all-of-the-above energy strategy.

    You can read the revised GHG plan and share your ideas here.

    Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

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  • Weekly Wrap Up: Unbreakable Bonds

    Posted by Sarah Berlenbach on March 9, 2012 at 6:03 PM EDT

    A quick look at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

    A Special Bond: Addressing the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, the President reaffirmed the strength of our relationship with Israel, discussing both countries’ mutual interests, the importance of securing peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and the actions his Administration has taken to support Israel. The President’s statements at the conference were followed by a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Speaking to reporters before sitting down for the meeting, the President noted, “As I’ve said repeatedly, the bond between our two countries is unbreakable.”

    An Important Milestone: On Thursday, President Obama welcomed Prime Minister Abdurrahim ElKeib of Libya to West Wing—marking the first White House visit from a Libyan prime minister in nearly 60 years. At the meeting, President Obama applauded Dr. ElKeib’s leadership and encouraged his government continue making progress with the country’s democratic transition.

    Mutually Beneficial Partnership with Ghana: In 2009, Ghana was one of the first nations to host the President and First Lady Michelle Obama. On Thursday, the President returned the favor, welcoming the President of Ghana, John Atta Mills, to the White House to discuss the growing commercial and economic ties between the two nations. The President outlined a number of initiatives in which both countries are working together—“[The] President’s government recently is collaborating with a number of American businesses to build infrastructure inside of Ghana, which will create thousands of jobs here in the United States. And the trade that we engage in creates jobs for tens of thousands of people back in Ghana.”

    Includes Video
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