One of the things that Barack Obama promised during his campaign for the presidency of the United States was that many of the environmental issues that had been put on the back burner by the former administration would now be made priority once again. Although the United Nations summit on climate change in Copenhagen was not as successful as many hoped, it did put the spotlight on those countries which produce the most waste and pollution. Even though the summit did not produce any binding resolutions, it definitely put pressure on countries to act, which is one of the reasons for a recent announcement by the USDA.
One of the first things that President Obama did in 2009 was to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which aimed to help the economy by creating job and reinvesting in the infrastructure of America. Obama hoped to use the millions of potential jobs that can be created by green technology as a way to get the economy going and to show his followers that he was committed to green issues. Recently Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Act would fun over one hundred and sixteen million dollars worth of loans and grants that will be earmarked for water and environmental projects. The project aims to help rural communities create jobs through improvements to the infrastructure, particularly when it comes to environmental issues and water.
The money was divided among roughly twenty states with each state getting specific amounts based on their need.
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