President Barack Obama, in his inaugural address to the packed crowds on the National Mall in Washington DC, told his rapt audience that America needed a "new era of responsibility" to deal with both the financial and environmental crises his new administration faced. The new president's commitment to his environmental agenda shone through the dour images of a world economy in crisis with references to "rolling back" global warming through transforming the way America uses energy by harnessing "the sun and the wind and the soil". During the campaign, Obama committed himself to a $150bn investment over the next decade in green energy. He wants to put 1m plug-in hybrid cars, with a fuel consumption of 150 miles per gallon, on the road by 2015. He also pledged that 10% of US electricity supplies should come from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025. He also signalled an intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. He will be under pressure to make good on these commitments and quickly.In his closing statements, President Obama pledged to "roll back the spectre of a warming planet". But his message was even more fundamental than just changing the way the US and world uses energy. "We can no longer afford indifference to the suffering that occurs outside our borders. Nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to the effect," he said. "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility… This is the price and promise of citizenship."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/jan/20/obama-inauguration-climatechange