Obama said it was his first trip to Lake Tahoe, and that he fully intends to visit and spend more time than his brief appearance on Wednesday allowed.
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The Nevada Democrat praised Obama for protecting more than 260 million acres of public land and waters.
President Obama yesterday hit out once again at Republican climate sceptics, arguing that there was “no contradiction” between effective environmental policies and strong economic performance.
California Gov. Jerry Brown and Sens. “I am very pleased that our coalition is growing as the state and Department of Interior have forged a new partnership to restore the Sea”, Senator Boxer said.
Obama called progress on Lake Tahoe’s restoration evidence of the nation’s ability to protect its natural resources and he ridiculed politicians who do not accept mainstream climate science. “Thank you Lake Tahoe”.
Scientists are anxious about the loss of clarity in the alpine lake caused by a wide variety of factors over past half-century, including housing construction, storm-water runoff, automobiles and aquatic species.
Obama attempted to tie the fate of Lake Tahoe to global environmental challenges due to climate change.
Unveiling modest new steps to preserve the lake and its region, the White House said the Interior Department would spend almost $30 million on wildfire prevention in the area, while other agencies would work on storm-water management, algae monitoring and geothermal energy exploration. “We tend to think of climate change as if it’s just something that’s happening out there that we don’t have any control over”.
“This is really nice, I will be coming here more often”, he said. “You have to read or listen to scientists to know that the overwhelming body of science shows us that climate change is caused by human activity”. Throughout the trip, Obama is hoping to elevate issues of climate change and conservation as he works to lock in his environmental legacy. Unlike the bipartisan roster of speakers featured at previous Tahoe summits, no Republican politician addressed the crowd. He has made curbing carbon emissions linked to global warming a top priority of his second term, championing the worldwide climate accord reached a year ago in Paris, issuing executive actions targeting pollution, and expanding federally protected lands and oceans.
Later Wednesday, Obama was set to travel to his native state of Hawaii to address leaders from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
In Nevada, a crucial swing state in the upcoming presidential election and home to a hotly contested Senate race, the two-hour chorus of speeches was laced with the clear message that the environmental priorities championed by Democratic leaders in Washington, California and Nevada were crucial for the nation’s future.
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In China to attend the Group of 20 major economies summit, Obama planned to hold a formal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has become Obama’s unlikely partner in pushing for global action on climate.
