Barack Obama's green team will focus on job creation, environmental protection and climate change

With less than a month before his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama has fulfilled his promise to quickly name his cabinet and senior staff positions. Environmentalists are generally pleased with his appointments and want to help focus the new administration's environment and energy agenda.

At a news conference to announce members of his environment and energy team, President-elect Obama reiterated a familiar message from the campaign trail: His administration would tackle climate change and develop new forms of energy and new ways of using it. (Click to view video of announcement.)

"This will be a leading priority of my presidency and a defining test of our time. We can't afford compliancy, nor accept more broken promises," he said. "We won't create a new energy economy overnight. We won't protect our environment overnight, but we can begin that work right now if we think anew and if we act anew." (Click to read Obama's statement on science and technology team.)

Environmentalists have weighed in on how to do that. Late last month, 29 environmental advocacy organizations submitted a green action plan to the Obama transition team. read more