Many think that in these tumultuous economic times, with the big “D” word (Depression) on everybody’s minds, if not necessarily their lips, it would be too expensive to fight off the current downfall of the environment. But several leading environmental groups disagree. They are claiming that now is the time to make a big move towards helping the environment not despite the economic crisis, but because of it.

With recent reports revealing that 2008 was one of the warmest year in the last century and the ice of the Arctic shelf melting at an incredible pace,  it seem all the more important for the American government to adopt a more aggressive environmental plan.  And according to Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, “There’s economic opportunity if we do this right.”

The 29 environmental groups involved in coming up with a recommendations list for Obama are claiming that instead of draining what little monetary resources there are right now, fighting global warming and developing cleaner and more environmentally beneficial ways of producing and using energy will actually strengthen the economy.  The main theme of the group’s recommendation leaned heavily on the notion of a clean –energy approach, but they also included several suggestions involving the Alaska Arctic region and a scheme for conserving water and land resources throughout the nation.

The director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances Beinecke, says that by promoting such things as greener housing, the government could, in turn, create some much needed jobs.  And switching municipalities off the grid and putting everyone on solar and wind power could be another area of job creation.

The nearly 400 page recommendation also focused on other concerns such as invoking tougher emissions laws and a full review of all Arctic offshore drilling and gas pipeline project leases given under the Bush administration. They also recommend that no further leases be given out for the Arctic Ocean, Bristol Bay and other areas of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.