My first three months with Bellona have been dominated by the elections and the excitement generated by Barack Obama's election. As a professional observer of the US (and particularly Washington DC scene) I have never witnessed such a wave of excitement after an election.

As the Obama transition teams deploy across the Government, it will be important that we and our partners keep up the pressure for the next US Administration and the Congress to take early action to tackle climate change. White papers are flying all over Washington - most notably, 29 environmental groups have sent a 300 page paper to the Obama transition team with a wish list of measures that they would like to see implemented next year.

Realistically, it is imposible that it will all get done in a few months. But it's a start and people are refreshed and full of optimism. The appointment of Peter Orzag as the next Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget is a good move. Orzag understands climate change issues and how they might impact the economy. It will be helpful to have him in the White House as Obama starts to grapple with the issue.