Here Come the Executive Orders: Climate Change Central To Next Presidential Agenda

Ooohhh, there's going to be some money made!
From Foreign Policy's Passport blog:

Morning Brief: Obama vows to take on climate change in inaugural speech

Top news: In his second inaugural address Monday, President Barack Obama vowed to take on climate change in the next four years, saying that America must lead the transition to sustainable energy sources. "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," he said. "Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms."

"The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries -- we must claim its promise. That's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure -- our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God," he said.

The White House has not yet rolled out the specifics of its second-term climate agenda, but analysts believe that a major legislative push to curb greenhouse emissions is unlikely. Instead, it is thought the president could take a series of executive actions to address climate change, including tightening emissions standards at existing power plants and nixing the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the tar sands in Alberta to multiple locations in the United States. The Pentagon is also expected to take additional steps toward reducing carbon emissions....

Here's a repost from October 2011:
Here Come the Presidential Executive Orders

From an email response I sent a friend during the budget ceiling negotiations last August regarding the options available to the Government and the Fed:

I have some arcane knowledge of the workings of the Fed and see no impediments there. As to the trust funds, the enabling legislation either exists or could probably be more easily written than the ceiling legislation.

I keep coming back to the President though. Executive orders give so much latitude, especially when couched in state of emergency terms, that my reading is the Exec can do pretty much as he pleases,

Back in 2008 some barrister types were making that argument re: climate change policy, potential constitutional crisis be damned.

The link goes to a 213 page PDF under the imprimatur of the University of Colorado Law School titled:

THE BOUNDARIES OF EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY
Using Executive Orders to Implement
Federal Climate Change Policy

Since that Aug. 2 email Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has called on the President to declare a State of Emergency, bypass Congress and unilaterally hire 15 million unemployed at an average $40,000 and the President has stated “We’re not going to wait for Congress.”

Here's the latest, via UPI:
WH: Obama to use executive authority more

President Obama likely will use executive orders more often as he does all he can to grow the economy and spur job creation, a White House aide said Monday.

Changes by executive order don't "substitute for the action that Congress absolutely must and should take … it is simply a part of doing everything you can: Focusing on what is the No. 1 issue for most Americans, which is an economy that's not growing fast enough, an economy that's not creating enough jobs," White House spokesman Jay Carney said during a media briefing aboard Air Force One en route to Las Vegas.

Obama announced Monday the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) took three steps to help responsible homeowners refinance and take advantage of low mortgage rates.

Why use the executive order?

"Because we have to do everything we can," Carney said....MORE 

Which of course raises the question: Why now? Why not in 2009? Or 2010?
Ya got me.

Here are this week's EO's:

White House Announces Mortgage Refinancing Overhaul Through Executive Order
Obama issues order aimed at preventing federal data leaks
Obama's latest executive orders affect veterans
Obama's Executive Order of the Day: Easing Student Loan Payments

They are coming fast enough that the National Archives are only current through mid-August.

It should be an interesting year or five.

And a few more examples:
March 2012 
"FDR's `Dictatorship Plan': Echoes
April 2012 
Another Executive Order: "Obama orders oversight group on shale gas"
August 2012
Rule by Decree: President Signs Executive Order Commanding 50% Increase in Cogeneration Power

We have more and there will be much more to come.
Heed the words of  Joe Kennedy:

"It's easy to make money in this market," said Kennedy, famously, to an associate. 

"We'd better get in before they pass a law against it."

And remember, There was a reason for the choice of the first winner of the Climateer "Our Hero" award back in April 2007:

The 26th Secretary of War, the Democrat and Republican (!) Senator from Pennsylvania, Simon Cameron:

Our Hero

"The honest politician is one who 
when he is bought, will stay bought."