On Friday, President Obama issued an executive order to tackle growing climate change issues. The order creates a “Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience,” and the White House reports that the team will “advise the Administration on how the Federal Government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change.”
President Obama drew attention to recent climate events like extremely high temperatures, wildfires and droughts, and pointed out that there could be a long-term impact on public health. In his executive order, the president stated: “Managing these risks requires deliberate preparation, close cooperation, and coordinated planning by the Federal Government, as well as by stakeholders, to facilitate Federal, State, local, tribal, private-sector, and nonprofit-sector efforts to improve climate preparedness and resilience; help safeguard our economy, infrastructure, environment, and natural resources; and provide for the continuity of executive department and agency (agency) operations, services, and programs.”
