Huffington Magazine Issue 33 | Page 81

PETE SOUZA/THE WHITE HOUSE VIA GETTY IMAGES OBAMA 2.O / ENVIRONMENT lection of conservation groups and climate activists have argued that the president was walking an equivocal line at best, championing emissions reductions, for example, while also embracing expanded oil and gas drilling, including in the delicate Arctic, and continuing his support for so-called clean coal technology, HUFFINGTON 01.27.13 which many environmentalists consider an oxymoron. To be sure, the Obama administration introduced several inarguably historic emissions-reduction measures over the course of its first term, including tough new fuelefficiency standards for vehicles and emissions limits on new power plants — both promulgated through the regulatory authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, rather than by act of Congress. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (center) views a map with Pres. Obama during an aerial tour to view damage from Hurricane Sandy.