"Activists step up pressure on president to turn vague promises made since re-election into concrete policies for the future."

"Campaigners handed Barack Obama a climate change to-do list for his second term on Tuesday, in an attempt to push the White House to live up to its environmental promises.

Environmental groups are urging Obama to view his re-election, and renewed public attention to climate change after hurricane Sandy, as a historic moment.

"He passed historic healthcare legislation," Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who is one of the strongest champions of climate action in Congress told a forum hosted by Climate Desk. "Now he needs to work on climate change."

Markey, along with other experts at the event, offered up a list of options Obama can take to "flex his executive muscle" and push Congress and government agencies into action."

Suzanne Goldenberg reports for the Guardian December 4, 2012. [2]