President Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s 44th President on January 20, and while it obviously takes time for real change to happen (especially in an organization as large as the Federal Government), the administration is already hard at work when it comes to the environment. Many of us who supported and voted for President Obama did so with the understanding that he would address the environment in an honest, and non-partisan manner once elected. In looking over some of his first actions as President, it appears that Obama is sticking to this agenda, and that the environment is not going to be swept under the rug for another 4 years.

The EPA has serious work to do in the next few years, and Obama’s pick to head the organization shows that he is serious about not allowing politics to derail the process. By tapping Lisa Jackson – a career civil servant who has dedicated her professional life to protecting the environment – Obama sent a message that EPA will not be run by outsiders. Jackson worked for the EPA for 16 years, and spent another 6 years at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Having spent her career regulating greenhouse gases, pollution and hazardous waste, Jackson is well suited to tighten regulations and demand compliance from businesses used to the Bush Administration’s somewhat ‘lax’ environmental policies.

To introduce herself and her governing principles, Jackson sent a memo to the EPA staff on January 23 (the day Congress confirmed her to the post). In her memo, Jackson sums up the new philosophy of the EPA in stating the 3 core values that will guide the EPA:

1. To uphold Science as the backbone for EPA programs.

2. To not compromise the integrity of EPA experts in order to advance a particular regulatory outcome.

3. To follow the rule of law – to exercise policy discretion and follow the directives of Congress and the courts.

Before the Bush administration took over the EPA, I would have simply assumed that the organization was being run according to these policies; after watching science, ethics and legal mandates being tossed aside for the past 8 years however, it’s refreshing to know that Obama’s surrogates are returning rationality and science to the forefront of the nation’s governance.

In addition to these administrative changes, Jackson outlined the directions in which she plans on taking the EPA during her tenure. Over the next few years, Jackson is going to guide the nation towards a low-carbon economy by reducing carbon emissions and creating “green-collar” jobs. She wants to improve air quality and intends to comply with legal air quality standards and tighten regulations to close loopholes that allow polluters to side-step current laws.

Jackson also intends to clean up the nation’s Superfund sites, protect consumers, employees and the environment from risks posed by the introduction of toxic chemicals into every day products, and address the health of the nation’s streams, rivers, lakes, bays, oceans and aquifers. With the backing of an environmentally-focused President and the legislative support of Congress, Jackson should be able to address these basic issues and allow the EPA to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment.

While most of us are still driving conventional gas-powered clunkers (like my Jeep Cherokee for example), car companies have started producing more alternatives to the internal combustion engine. If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider buying a vehicle that is at least partially powered by an alternative fuel source.

1. Hybrids. The best known of the hybrids, the Toyota Prius starts at $21,1000 and boosts an impressive 48 miles per gallon (mpg) city driving, 45 mpg on the highway and 46 mpg combined (when the car switches between electric and gasoline power). The 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid, is another attractive option, but has limited availability and can only be purchased in California, New York, New Jersey and throughout New England. The Altima gets about 35 mpg and can run for 600 miles on one tank. Starting at $25,070, the Altima is pricier than the Prius, but larger, more stylish and also ranked #1 among mid-size hybrids by Motor Trend Magazine.

2. E85 Ethanol. The Chevrolet Impala E85 is considered a flex-fuel vehicle and runs on a blend of 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline, or a combination of the two. The fuel economy of the Impala is nowhere near as good as that of hybrids however. The Impala is listed at 18 mpg city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. Interestingly, while looking around the Chevrolet website, I found that their 2008 Aveo (which is built with a traditional gasoline engine), gets better gas mileage than their flex-fuel vehicles with 24 mpg city driving and 34 on the highway. If you’re in the market for a large truck, consider the Ford F150 E85. Starting at $17,520, the Ford F150 has all of the power and towing capacity (up to 11,000 pounds) of a Ford truck, but its fuel emissions are not where they could be. With a listing of approximately 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway driving, its clear that Ford needs to step up its research and development into more fuel efficient heavy-duty trucks.

3. Diesel. Volkswagen is launching a line of new diesel-powered vehicles in the US this year, and according to their site, the cars will be legal in all 50 states. While the Volkswagen Sportwagen is not yet available in this country, it’s been rumored that the hatchback is coming early this year and will boost an impressive 50 mpg fuel economy. According to HybridCars.com, diesel versions of the Touareg and Jetta TDI will also be for sale in the US in the spring of 2008.

Even with these new technologies, it is clear that we must demand better options for powering our vehicles. Buying a car, truck or SUV with an alternative fuel source is a great start, but to really affect change we have to start demanding better technologies, more efficient fuels and higher fuel emission standards. A good place to start making demands is by voting in more environmentally-friendly (and less big auto/oil friendly) legislators or by writing your legislators in Congress.
You can find a comprehensive list of cars, SUVs and trucks powered by alternative fuels on HybridCars.com.