Minus Al Gore, Obama mulls environment posts

By Jeff Mason - Analysis

CHICAGO (Reuters) - With his national security and economic teams largely in place, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is turning his attention to filling top energy and environmental posts, although Nobel Peace laureate Al Gore appears to be out of the mix.

Obama, who takes over for President George W. Bush on January 20, has made it clear his White House tenure will signal a break from his predecessor on climate change and other environmental policy issues.

Two weeks after his victory over Republican John McCain on November 4, the Democrat repeated his intention to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 despite the economic crisis.

The message to potential Cabinet and staff picks? These jobs will have a significantly higher profile than previous administrations.

The posts still up for grabs include energy secretary, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and a newly created climate "czar."

But the most high profile person said to have been in contention for the latter post, former Vice President Al Gore, is not interested.

"Vice President Gore has said both prior to President-elect Obama being elected and since he's been elected that he does not have an interest in serving in the administration," said Gore's spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider.

Gore won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to combat rising temperatures and boost awareness of climate change.

Obama pledged during this year's presidential primaries to make Gore, who made fighting climate change a personal crusade after losing the 2000 election to Bush, a major player on the subject in a potential Obama administration.

Kreider said the two speak regularly but those conversations were private.

Another potential superstar pick -- Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- is also out of the picture.

"He has not been approached and he is not interested," said spokesman Aaron McLear, adding the governor intended to finish out his term, which ends in January 2011.

California has been a leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions under his administration.

POTENTIAL PICKS

So who is up for the jobs? Obama's transition team is keeping quiet, but industry and environmental sources have focused on a handful of candidates with environmental and executive experience.