Friday, February 6, 2009

President Obama tries to balance environmental reform with economic improvement

In its first few weeks in offices, the Obama administration is already showing that it will be dedicated to focusing on renewable forms of energy and stricter emissions standards.

However, some leading economists are skeptical of whether the administration can bring the country out of its current recession while creating environmental reform. Environmental experts lend further support to this notion, as many of them are saying that the changes Obama is proposing will not be easy to enact.

"These technologies are not new. They have been around for 10 to 15 years," Bill Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University, told CNN. "Government can push new policies, but it has to prove to be economically competitive or else it will not happen."

While its definitely a positive thing for the Obama administration to be showing a dedication to environmental reform, it also will be a delicate balancing act between improving the U.S. economy and cleaning up the environment for the new administration.

For more, check out this story on CNN.com.