A Green President?
Next week is the inauguration and the reality check will begin. Which Obama environmental campaign ... more promises will hold up under the strain of a choking economy and the partisan political pressures of Washington? Here are a few green hopes and dreams that I would like to see become a reality sooner rather than later.
Renewable power
• In early January, Obama reaffirmed his commitment to invest in efficiency and clean energy technologies as part of his economic recovery act. If this can be accomplished it could create jobs in America and also reduce our dependence on dirty burning non-renewable sources like coal and oil. This would have the net effect of reducing our nation's carbon footprint while slowing our dependence on foreign oil.
Green Jobs
• Obama has picked up the green collar jobs mantra linking environmentally positive infrastructure updates to needed U.S. jobs. This would be done through increased investment in research for clean energy, mandates for renewable energy as a percentage of total electricity produced and establishment of some kind of tax credit program for businesses to encourage deployment of renewable technologies and the associated employment opportunities. Additionally, there was campaign talk about creating a green job corps for teenagers who would apprentice in the area of improving energy conservation and efficiency in homes and buildings in their communities.
Climate change a priority
• Obama has stated that global warming is real and happening now. As proof of his concern, he appointed Nobel Prize winning Steven Chu as his Secretary of Energy signaling that he wants to work on reducing our carbon related contributions to global warming asap. Chu is known to be passionate about the urgent need to focus on renewable energy technologies and policies. Previous administrations put climate change on the back burner believing that job loss was the trade off for a healthier environment. The hope is that this administration understands that new clean technologies will improve not hurt the economy.
Preserving freshwater the key to life
• Water quality and shortages will be a critical problem in this country and the world over the next several decades. The American West is facing a serious water crisis with expanded farming and more people living in the desert. In the Midwest, Northeast and on the coasts as populations grow and sprawl continues, wetlands are being gobbled up at an alarming rate threatening our gulf communities, inland shorelands and ultimately our fresh water sources. Obama's campaign environmental fact sheet emphasizes his concern about freshwater and commitment to protecting it. Let's hope that this issue stays on his radar screen and that proactive steps will be taken to head off water shortages.
Friend to green business
• Those businesses that are already moving down the path of decreasing their resource use, should be in a perfect position to avoid probable new regulations and restrictions aimed at mandating reduced carbon footprints and greener supply chains. Companies that are designing products and services with the environment in mind may even get a carrot rather than a stick by being able to take advantage of new tax credits and incentives for green innovation. Another good reason to begin the greening process for all businesses.