We recently marked the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy's deadly and massive destruction in New Jersey, New York and the East Coast. In conjunction with this anniversary, President Obama signed an executive order to help state and local governments better prepare for and combat the impacts of extreme weather events, 'superstorms' like Hurricane Sandy, that are only expected to increase due to the warming of our planet. Unfortunately, the news was barely mentioned outside of the energy press.
America's energy policy continues to be buried behind other issues, with much of the coverage focused on partisan political squabbles. Our nation's approach to energy, however, is directly correlated to the strength of our economy. It is critical that Americans -- and Congress -- understand why energy is so important to the health of our economy. That is why OurEnergyPolicy.org provides a forum for constructive dialogue aimed at moving the conversation on energy issues forward.
OurEnergyPolicy.org was founded to create a stage for experts from all perspectives to engage in a civil and collaborative discussion on energy policy. It is OurEnergyPolicy.org's mission to provide a non-partisan forum for substantive, responsible dialogue on the full range of energy issues and serve as a resource for the American people, policymakers, and the media. We maintain a comprehensive library of materials including papers, studies, reports, articles and legislative materials for anyone researching energy policy issues.
The Obama Administration began its second term by emphasizing a commitment to work with Congress to address energy issues and climate change, with an agenda released last June. Yet, Congress has spent far too long in a dangerous stalemate with regard to adopting sound energy policies for America's future. OurEnergyPolicy.org recently held an on-line dialogue about climate change where we explored the EPA's Social Cost of Carbon analysis.
President Obama's new climate plan calls for better coordination among federal agencies and state governments to prepare for extreme weather events, and also for the creation of a bipartisan task force of state and local leaders on climate preparedness. The mission is for state and local governments to fully understand and acknowledge how the effects of climate change will impact federally funded projects, from construction and maintenance of highways, roads and bridges, to flood control. Six governors -- including those from California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland and Vermont -- have agreed to serve on the task force.
OurEnergyPolicy.org applauds the Administration's plan to generate a bi-partisan dialogue on climate change -- because only by working together will we find solutions to this and other energy challenges. As a non-partisan and non-political organization, OurEnergyPolicy.org's ultimate goal is to be a vehicle for responsible people to work together solving our energy problems. We believe an open and collaborative approach is key to addressing our climate and energy issues.
I invite you to visit our website, www.ourenergypolicy.org, and to participate in moving the energy policy discussion forward.