US policy changed - Realities on energy can’t be ignored

WITH a stroke of his pen President Barack Obama has taken one of our self-serving, lazy and threadbare excuses for not doing enough to protect the environment or save energy out of play.

By issuing executive orders on state-level fuel emission standards, setting fuel efficiency deadlines for car makers and on energy savings measures for his government, Mr Obama has made it impossible for us to argue that there’s no point in a tiny country like Ireland mending its ways while America remains profligate.

Not only has Mr Obama signalled his intent to cut America’s dependence on imported energy, he has pointedly reversed President Bush’s policies. The directness of his actions may help convince China and India that they need more effective measures on emissions.