Obama v. EPA, Round One

I only have so much time to comment before life has to bring on its next appointment, but I've made it a habit every morning to turn on my television between the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. hours of news broadcasting. This newly developed habit isn't a desire to watch certain mid-morning newscasters, but a mentally noted trend of White House announcements or press secretary briefings occurring at a high rate during these hours.

The announcements from the Obama White House this morning began what I'll believe as the first strike in an ongoing vehicle emissions battle. Many college-age students such as myself can readily recall our first cars at the tender age of sixteen, and can also collectively commiserate at the related phrase, "hunk of junk." But beyond that humorous side of car ownership, there is a deeper and heatedly debated economic and environmental aspect that the presidential Obama-Rama has pushed into the spotlight.

To recount fact, the order signed by President Barack H. Obama this morning will give more power to the states to set individual state vehicle emission requirements, which all American car manufacturers must ardently follow. According to our newly-elected president, Washington D.C. will now support states in this endeavor, such as the environmentally-leading state of California, which allegedly had no support from Washington in previous years of emission-limiting legislation.

Although on one hand, some of these orders continue to reel over me like water waves, a younger, idealistic side of me continues to be intrigued. There is something still highly inspiring and uplifting about the man named Obama, but although it's nearly been a week, I still have troubles readily associating his name with the term, "the president." At least, not without a few more clarifying clauses attached, to assure both myself and readers that I'm writing of the newly-elected president, and not the one the United States recently saw depart.