[Well, were now having to add a lot of money to every bridge, highway, etc. building project due to worsening climate. Its the right thing to do, but the smarter thing, of course, would be to stop investing in fossil fuels (via tax breaks, etc.) and moving as fast as possible to a renewable energy economy. At the same time, direct carbon capture from the air has to be started. Prof. David Keiths carbonengineering has a prototype that needs to be tested.] White House aides said President Obama would sign an executive order on Friday morning directing federal agencies to make it easier for states and communities to build resilience against storms, droughts and other weather extremes. For instance, when federal money is being spent on projects like roads, bridges, flood control and many others, the plan would encourage greater attention to the likely climate conditions of the future, which might require making the structures stronger or larger. “All of that is now going to be shaped by the awareness of climate change, and the things that can be done to make those investments produce a much more resilient society,” said John P. Holdren, the president’s science adviser. In addition, the White House will set up a high-level task force of state and local leaders to offer advice to the federal government. At least six governors — all Democrats — have agreed to serve, along with mayors and other local leaders representing both political parties. The plan also calls for better coordination among federal agencies. The White House emphasized that the president remains committed to his goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by 17 percent by 2020, compared with the level of 2005. At Mr. Obama’s direction, the Environmental Protection Agency is working on rules that could impose sharp limits on coal-fired power plants. And the administration has adopted policies requiring that by 2025, cars and light trucks sold in the United States get an average of 54.5 miles to the gallon. But the new push involves a recognition that at the global scale, emissions of heat-trapping gases are still rising, and most scientific experts believe it will be difficult to head off substantial alterations in the climate. They also believe that some of the weather extremes of recent years, such as intense heat waves and heavy downpours, are a foretaste of the kind of changes that will intensify in the future.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:27:07 +0000
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