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This week, Focus Earth takes a look at recent appointments to Barack Obama's "Green Team," providing an analysis of what these selections mean for the administration's environmental policy. Then, Bob Woodward and the team report on recent OPEC production cuts, ways Toledo, Ohio, is responding to Chrysler factory closures, and recent efforts to save the California condor. A round table discussion on America's environmental future and the impact of video games on energy resources make up the end game of this episode of Focus Earth.
First, Yunji DeNies reports from Washington, DC, on a recent discovery that some officials in the Department of the Interior may have altered scientific documents that would have helped prove certain species were in danger of becoming extinct. The investigation, led by the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior, has raised further questions about the Bush administration's environmental policy.
As one administration is preparing to leave the White House, another is getting ready to move in. President-elect Barack Obama announced this week that Ken Salazar, a senator from Colorado, would be appointed Secretary of the Interior. This announcement, along with confirmations of appointments for most energy and environmental secretary positions, solidified Obama's "Green Team."
Dealing with energy and the environment is becoming more imperative than ever. After gas prices reached their lowest level in years, OPEC announced that it would dramatically cut oil production. What implications this action has for fuel prices and the American economy remains to be seen.
One town, however, is making moves to free itself from an oil-based economy. Facing the closure of two Chrysler factories, Toledo, a manufacturing town in Ohio, has begun a revival of glass making. Chris Bury reports that the glass, being produced for use in solar panels, is stimulating the local economy while contributing to a greener industrial future.
Then, Debra Callahan, former president of the League of Conservation voters, sits down with Bob Woodward for a round table discussion about the challenges to be faced by the new administration, the formation of Obama's green team, and what these things mean for the future of environmental policy.
Meanwhile, Terry McCarthy reports from California, where the largest bird in North America, the California Condor, is struggling for survival. With only a few hundred birds left in the wild, scientists are racing to find a solution to the problem threatening their existence: lead poisoning from hunter's bullets.
Finally, Focus Earth looks at a new study from the National Resources Defense Council that shows how video game systems, when left on for extended periods, are using billions of kilowatts of energy from the national grid. Find out what can be done in this special report.
Checkout the Planet Green Schedule to see these stories and more on Focus Earth.
Don't miss Saving the Condor and OPEC Cuts.
Read more about green politics:
Barack Obama Faces Environmental Clean Up After Two Centuries of Bingeing: Bill McKibben
Write Your Congressman—Make a Positive Eco Impact
Get Local Politicians to Go Green
