This Explains President Barack Obama's Deep Love For Science

As he bids farewell to a remarkable leadership, outgoing President Barack Obama talks about his love for science and the environment to be featured in the February issue of National Geographic Magazine.

National Geographic's Craig Welch spoke with President Barack Obama as they visited the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument at Midway's Sand Island in September. The outgoing administration transformed the area into the world's largest protected marine location, which is a home to a wide range of species including spinner dolphins and sea turtles as well as the world's largest albatross colony, rare ducks and millions of birds.

When asked about what made him become so passionate about ocean conservation, President Barack Obama credited it all to his mother, whom he said was a lover of science and nature.

"You know my mom was somebody who loved (and I'm not pandering here) National Geographic," Obama told Welch. "She was an anthropologist. She was the kind of person who would wake me up to see a full moon - it feels particularly spectacular, would drag me around to national history museums ... So I give her a lot of credit."

President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, which explains why he has always remained calm amid the chaos of being the president of the world's most powerful nation.

He said he knew "what it's like to jump into the ocean" and understood "what it means to see a sea turtle in the face of a wave." "The notion, that this would be inaccessible to my kids and my grandkids, is unacceptable," he pointed out.

President Barack Obama was among the few U.S. presidents who focused on the conservation of the environment. While people believe the stigma that the government is putting the economic situation at stake by raising environmental efforts, Obama said that the U.S. has been able to maintain economic growth while increasing the use of clean energy "faster than anybody else." He further added that the U.S. has also reduced carbon emissions faster than any country in the world.