Headed to an inauguration party this weekend? If so, you probably have your fancy duds lined up. And the champagne. And maybe even some red-white-and-blue bunting. But how about your green talking points? Are you up-to-date on President Elect (and soon-to-be just plain old "President") Obama's green picks and pronouncements? No. Well, never fear. LIME.com's got your back. Here's your Obama green-team cheat sheet.

What the President Elect has done (so far):

• The key members of Obama's energy and environment team have stellar green credentials. All are committed to fighting climate change and reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels through supporting clean, renewable energy and increased energy efficiency. Energy Secretary nominee Steven Chu is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who steered Berkeley Livermore Laboratory toward research on renewable fuels and energy efficiency. Former Clinton EPA Administrator Carol Browner was appointed Obama's chief advisor on energy and climate change. Former New Jersey Department of the Environment chief Lisa Jackson is slated to take over the EPA. And Nancy Sutley, who helped reduce port pollution as deputy Los Angeles mayor for energy and environment has been tapped to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

 

• Other cabinet appointees also have encouraging green leanings. Labor Secretary nominee Hilda Solis, a Congresswoman from Southern California, championed the Green Jobs Act of 2007. Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton has long been a climate change believer. And NOAA Administrator nominee Jane Lubchenco and Science Advisor John Holdren have also been vocal about the dangers of global warming. Lubchenco is an environmental scientist and marine ecologist from Oregon State University. Holdren is a professor of environmental policy at Harvard and head of the Woods Hole Research Center.

 

• In his first major economic policy speech in early January, Obama demonstrated his understanding that supporting a green economy is not only a good thing to do for the environment, but that it also makes smart economic sense. Investment in alternative fuels and green jobs, Obama said, will be key to reviving the U.S. economy.

Other encouraging signs:

• Green groups and other eco-minded folks have largely cheered Obama's moves. "This is clearly a green dream team," League of Conservation Voters chief Gene Karpinski told USA Today. Sierra Club president Carl Pope also praised Obama's nominees on Huffington Post. Worldchanging went further, calling the picks "the Justice League of American climate policy."

 

• Obama's recognition of the urgency posed by the twin issues of fossil fuels and climate change was reflected in the fact that he created an entirely new post in his administration to coordinate and prioritize policy across all cabinet departments — and to keep them front and center in the Oval Office. The new post — the "assistant to the president for energy and climate change"— is the role taken on by Browner.

There's a lot to be excited about, but not everything has been a slam dunk for the green crowd. Here are some things to keep an eye on:

• Not everyone is excited about EPA administrator nominee Jackson. Some New Jersey greens, including the local chapter of the Sierra Club, like her, but others say she didn't push hard enough against industry and didn't do enough to clean up contaminated sites.

 

• Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, a Senator from Colorado, is a mixed bag. The League of Conservation Voters has generally given him good but not always stellar ratings. Still, he has supported funding for clean energy and has backed calls to cut Americans' overall oil consumption.

 

• National Security Advisor James Jones doesn't always see eye-to-eye with the green movement. He sits on the board of Chevron and has advocated off-shore drilling. Given that he considers energy a national security issue, some wonder whether he'll weigh in on domestic energy policy.

 

• Chief economic advisor Larry Summers has long been been wary of carbon caps, like those called for in the Kyoto Protocol, fearing they could hurt the U.S. economy.

That should be enough to get you started on cocktail party chitchat — or maybe even to craft a toast to the new administration and wish it well in its plan to bring forth a green, clean, renewable future. For more, see Grist's stellar roundup of key Obama nominees.

^{Photo credits: Obama-Biden Transition Project on Flickr}