“Obama’s goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 falls short of the response needed by world leaders to meet the challenge of reducing emissions to levels that will actually spare us the worst effects of climate change.”

IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri criticizes the new president’s policy at a Worldwatch event before Obama’s inauguration.

U.S. carbon emissions during Bush era 20% greater than official estimates.

According to Brian Angliss over on Scholars and Rogues, US emissions are 20% above reported values owing to the failure of official estimates to account for greenhouse gas emissions generated by other nations as a result of the US outsourcing goods and services (h/t Climate Progress).

A dark cloud settles over a once sunny industry.

The solar-energy industry, which until recently had been booming, starts to feel the pinch of recession.

“No proposed or final regulation should be sent to the Office of Federal Register for publication unless and until it has been reviewed and approved by a department or agency head appointed or designated by the President."

On Barack Obama’s first day as US president, a memo to federal agencies from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel freezes all of the Bush administration’s new and pending ‘midnight regulations’.