Tackling Global Challenges

Wind energy electricuty generation in Hawaii

2009 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo

The state of Hawaii, U.S. Pacific Command, and the Defense Energy Support Center, has organised the 2009 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo August 31-September 3, 2009, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The 2009 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo centers around  various renewable energy initiatives and policies throughout the Asia-Pacific region.  It will also include a trade show for innovative technologies, services and ideas.  The Department of Defense will also have a "DOD Day" featuring plans and procurement opportunities for energy projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region. (more)

An Afghani voter shows the indelible dye used to indicate that they've voted.

Obama Praises Courage and Dignity of Afghan Voters

While results are not yet known in Afghanistan’s presidential and provincial council elections, President Obama says the vote was “an important step forward” for the Afghan people in taking control of their country’s future in the face of threats from violent extremists.

Despite attacks and threats of violence by the Taliban against those participating in the vote, millions of Afghans went to the polls August 20, Obama told reporters at the White House August 21.

“As I watched the election, I was struck by their courage in the face of intimidation and their dignity in the face of disorder,” he said … (more) 

Secretary Clinton, shown in May with Angolan Foreign Minister dos Anjos, says Angola is positioned to be a leading African country (more)

Secretary Clinton in Africa: Partnering for peace and prosperity

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton started her seven nation Africa tour (August 4-14) with attendance at the AGOA Forum (August 4-6) in Nairobi, Kenya, where she delivered a speech at the ministerial opening ceremony of the forum.

The Secretary’s trip comes just three weeks after President Obama’s visit to Accra, Ghana, where he delivered a major policy speech, and similarly highlights the Obama Administration’s commitment to making Africa a priority in U.S. foreign policy. The Secretary’s trip follows the themes laid out by President Obama during his visit to Ghana: supporting strong and sustainable democratic governments; promoting sustainable economic development; strengthening public health and education; assisting in the prevention, litigation, and resolution of conflicts around Africa.

The Secretary's African tour includes a busy itinerary of visits and public appearances, travelling from the AGOA Forum in Kenya to Pretoria and Cape Town in South Africa where she met with Nelson Mandela, and the leaders of South Africa's new government. From South Africa she travelled to Luanda in Angola, to Kinshasa and Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to Abuja in Nigeria, to Monrovia in Liberia, and finally to Sal in Cape Verde.
 

President Obama applauds graduating students of the New Economic School in Moscow, where he delivered a major speech on the U.S.-Russia relationship.

Building on Moscow: U.S.-Russian Relations

Following recently behind President Obama's successful trip to Moscow, Philip Gordon (Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs) breifed the House Foreign Relations Committee on the status of, and developments in, U.S.- Russian relations.

A/S Gordon described the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Russia as in a 'dangerous drift' when President Obama took office.  However, he explained that new administration had been working hard with the Russian government, and have achieved a fresh start, or 'reset', to the relationship.

President Obama, he said, has stated that the U.S. and Russia have mutual interests in a number of critical areas, which the two countries could work togeather construcively on even as they seperately worked through any differences.  The results of the Moscow Summit demonstrate that the President’s instincts were correct. … (more)
 

From the White House

From the America.gov

Obama Calls on Africans to Claim Their Future

Saying he too has the blood of Africa within him, President Obama does not see the African people as living a world apart, but as a fundamental part of an interconnected world.

“I’ve come here to Ghana for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well,” Obama said in a July 11 speech before the Ghanaian Parliament in his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president.

“I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family’s own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.”

The July 11 speech in Accra capped off a journey that began in Moscow July 6, followed by the Group of Eight Summit in L’Aquila, Italy, July 8–10, a visit with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on July 10, and then his visit to Ghana before returning to Washington … (more)
 

Obama Wins Global Support for Nuclear-Free Future

President Obama, at the G8 Summit in Italy, added another element to his goal of a nuclear-free world by calling for a global nuclear summit in March 2010.

The President sees this as another piece of the nonproliferation agenda he first put forward in his Prague speech in April, where he called for a nuclear-free world. The Obama agenda includes substantial reductions in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, which the president and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to July 6 at the Moscow Summit; U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); and strengthening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In the President's Prague speech of April 5, he proposed a sweeping strategy to thwart the international nuclear threat: reducing and eventually eliminating existing nuclear arsenals; strengthening the NPT and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons to additional nations; and preventing terrorists and political extremists from obtaining nuclear weapons or materials.

In a series of related statements, G8 leaders endorsed that strategy on the first day of the summit July 8 … (more)
 

President Leads by Example on Energy Efficiency

Amidst the tremedous progress being made in Congress on legislation to create a clean energy economy, on June 29 the President led by example and did his part in the Executive branch.  The President and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today several innovative actions that will promote energy efficiency while saving Americans billions of dollars annually.

The announcement highlights the fact that clean energy not only makes environmental sense, but it also makes smart economic sense. The President explained that this is why the administration has put energy at the forefront of our economic recovery, working to build a new, clean energy economy for the future:

"So we've gotten a lot done on the energy front over the last six months.  But even as we're changing the ways we're producing energy, we're also changing the ways we use energy.  In fact, one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to make our economy stronger and cleaner is to make our economy more energy efficient.  And that's something that Secretary Chu is working every single day to work through."

(more)
 

The World is Watching Iran

President Obama's Statement on Iran

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said - "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness … (more)
 

Climate Change Impacts Across America: A renewed focus for decisions

On June 16, the White House helped to launch a new science report representing a consensus of 13 agencies developed over a year and half and focused on potential climate change impacts on the United States.

It’s the most comprehensive report to date on the possible impacts of climate change for everyone across America, and begins an important process of redefining the sort of information we need in order to deal with climate change at national and regional scales.… (more)
 

"A New Beginning": Obama Seeks Fresh Start with Muslims Worldwide

Saying he came to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, President Obama told an audience in Cairo June 4 that the cycle of suspicion and discord that has defined the relationship for so long must end.

“There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground,” Obama said. “So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity.  This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”

Obama said he seeks a new start that is based on mutual interest and mutual respect — “one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles, principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” … (more)
 

President Condemns Nuclear Weapon Test

President Obama has condemned the North Korea’s apparent nuclear weapon test in violation of international law, describing it a “grave concern to all nations” and a “blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council.” Members of the Security Council were unanimous in voicing their strong opposition to and condemnation of the nuclear test.

Stating shared concerns, President Obama and NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully have both described North Korea’s actions as provocative, and as destabilising the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asian region.

The President has stated that North Korea’s behaviour “will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation. It will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”

Minister McCully said that New Zealand “remains fully supportive of dialogue through the Six-Party Talks process to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula”.

The United States will continue to work with allies and partners in the Six Party Talks, as well as other members of the UN Security Council, to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
 

A Culture Change on Climate Change

"…what everyone here believes, even as views differ on many important issues, is that the status quo is no longer acceptable…"

President Obama has announced a "historic agreement to help America break its dependence on oil, reduce harmful pollution, and begin the transition to a clean energy economy" at a White House gathering that included leading lawmakers and auto industry worker representatives and executives. The President described the agreement as representative of "not only a change in policy in Washington but the harbinger of a change in the way business is done in Washington".

A top auto industry executive agreed, stating in a pre-announcement release that "what's significant about the announcement is it launches a new beginning, an era of cooperation. The President has succeeded in bringing three regulatory bodies, 15 states, a dozen automakers and many environmental groups to the table… We're all agreeing to work together on a National Program."

The agreement proposes a more than 40% improvement in automotive fuel efficiency, both enhancing America's energy independence, and reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 900 million metric tons over 5 years. As yet another benefit, the President explained that that "over the life of a vehicle, the typical driver would save about (US) $2,800 by getting better gas mileage."  The program covers model year 2012 to model year 2016 and ultimately requires an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016 with a projected reduction in oil consumption of approximately 1.8 billion barrels over the life of the program. Or, in the President’s words, "more oil than we imported last year from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya, and Nigeria combined."

As President Obama says, “The fact is everyone wins: Consumers pay less for fuel,” Obama said, and car companies “have new incentives to create the technologies and the jobs that will provide smarter ways to power our vehicles.” … [full text]

World Press Freedom Championed This Month

This month, World Press Freedom Day was observed with strong support from President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and the whole of U.S. Government.

President Obama underlined the vital importance of a free press, saying that on World Press Freedom Day "we celebrate the indispensable role played by journalists in exposing abuses of power, while we sound the alarm about the growing number of journalists silenced by death or jail as they attempt to bring daily news to the public."

Secretary Clinton also commented that a free press is a core value and a fundamental right.  "Wherever media freedom is in jeopardy, all other human rights are also under threat. A free media is essential to democracy and it fosters transparency and accountability, both of which are prerequisites for sustained economic development," she said.

Both the President and Secretary expressed support and concern for journalists operating in environments where press freedom is not as respected as it is in the U.S. and other similar countries.  The President spoke of not only those journalists who have been killed 'in the line of duty', but also of "the hundreds more each year who face intimidation, censorship, and arbitrary arrest – guilty of nothing more than a passion for truth and a tenacious belief that a free society depends on an informed citizenry."

The President and Secretary, using common language to underscore the importance, declared they are "especially concerned about the citizens from our own country currently under detention abroad:  individuals such as Roxana Saberi in Iran, and Euna Lee and Laura Ling in North Korea."
 

Earth Day: A New Foundation for Economic Growth

Speaking at a wind tower production facility, President obama laid out his vision for a new clean energy economy, energy independance, keeping pollution out of the air and water, and finally addressing the climate change problem that has been neglected for decades in Washington.

The President explained that that the economy must shift to a sustainable, environmentally sound basis to generate future prosperity, declaring that "on this Earth Day, it is time for us to lay a new foundation for economic growth."

He went on to explain that the days of treating environmental concerns as obstacles to economic growth are over, and that instead environmental challenges must be considered opportunities for innovation. "the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy.  The choice we face is between prosperity and decline," he said.
 

Seeking a world without nuclear weapons

Speaking in Prague on April 5, President Obama has declared the U.S. commitment to work toward a world free from nuclear weapons.  Calling upon all nuclear weapon states to join the U.S. in this goal, the President nonetheless recognised that "as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavour alone, but we can lead it".

He has vowed that the U.S. will begin a sequence of concrete steps towards this goal, including:

 •  reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy;
 •  vigorous negotiation with other nuclear states on strategic arms reduction, a new treaty with Russia this year as just a first step;
 •  aggressive pursuit of U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;
 •  seeking a new treaty to cease the production of fissile materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons;
 •  working with the international community to strengthen the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty;
 •  and announcing a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years.

The President acknowledged that a nuclear weapon free world is a long term goal, but one that must be pursued immediately and with full conviction.  "This goal will not be reached quickly - perhaps not in my lifetime. It would take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change," he said.  [full text]

U.S. Central Bank Moves to Pump Up Economy

The Federal Reserve has declared that it will employ all available tools to promote economic recovery and to preserve price stability, announcing a full range of measures as part of this comprehensive approach.  The most traditional mechanism used by "the Fed" is the setting of the federal funds interest rate.  The target range for this rate is currently set a 0% to 0.25%, and the Fed has stated that it anticipates maintaining the rate at similar exceptionally low levels for an extended period.

However, the Fed has been earning praise for developing a number of innovative tools in response to the economic crisis.

Support to mortgage lending and housing markets will be strengthened through the purchase of up to $750 billion more agency mortgage-backed securities, for a total this year of $1.25 trillion, and through an increase in purchases of agency debt by up to $100 billion, for a 2009 total of up to $200 billion.  Conditions in private credit markets will be improved by the Fed purchasing up to $300 billion of longer-term Treasury securities over the next six months.  Households and small businesses will be assisted by the launch of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility to facilitate the extension of credit, and the Fed anticipates making the Facility more available by expanding the range of financial assets eligible to be collateral.

Following the Federal Reserve’s announcement, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock index rose 91 points and market analysts expect the interest rate on fixed-rate home loans to fall soon. (more)

Dr. Jerry Jordan speaking at the U.S. Embassy in Wellington

Insight Offered into U.S. Management of Financial Crisis

Just weeks before the G20 meetings in London, the U.S. Embassy hosted a visit to New Zealand by Dr Jerry Jordon, President of the Pacific Academy for Advanced Studies and a leading U.S. economist.

During his visit Dr Jordan met a number of New Zealand's senior economic figures, and spoke with a number of academic, business, and government audiences.  During his conversations, he examined the origins of the global financial crisis and the lessons to be learned through considering those origins.

Looking to the future, Dr Jordan explored mechanisms available to address the financial crisis, and outlined the possible responses of U.S. and global leaders.  From a U.S. perspective, he offered insight into the ongoing discussions of the crisis within the U.S. economic community, and the anticipated effects of the Obama administration's strategies to manage the crisis. … (audio)  (Dr Jordan in Auckland)

U.S. Committed To A Comprehensive Peace

Saying time is of the essence, the United States pledged $900 million in humanitarian aid for the Palestinians at an international conference in Egypt.

In pledging assistance at a conference that hopes to raise more than $3 billion for the Palestinian Authority, the United States is pursuing both short- and long-term strategies, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

“Our response to today’s crisis in Gaza cannot be separated from our broader efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace,” Clinton said March 2. “Only by acting now can we turn this crisis into an opportunity that moves us closer to our shared goals.” … (more)

U.S. Congratulates PM Tsvangirai

Washington — The Obama administration has extended its congratulations to Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai for becoming the country’s prime minister, but says it is waiting to see evidence of true power sharing and effective governance before offering additional development assistance or easing its targeted sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and his key supporters.

Acting State Department spokesman Robert Wood said February 11 that the United States is reserving judgment on the new government. “We need to see evidence of good governance and particularly real, true power sharing on the part of Robert Mugabe before we are going to make any kind of commitment,” he said … (more)