One of President Obama's biggest campaign promises was to be a green president. He would surround himself with scientists knowledgeable in environmental issues, and through his far reaching economic stimulus plan, he would fund green ideas and begin to reduce carbon emissions. One year into his presidency, let’s see where we are.
Scientifically, Obama has the best minds in the business. Nobel Peace Prize winner Stephen Chu is his Secretary of Energy, and for environmentalists, you cannot do better than that.
Vice President Joe Biden is also a green advocate, and together with President Obama, they pack a potent one-two punch when it comes to getting things done for the green scene.
The stimulus package, as a whole, has created more than two million jobs, and a lot of those jobs are being created in the green sector of the economy. Included in all of this are 2.4 billion dollars granted for electric vehicles and advanced battery technology. Smart energy grid projects got 3.4 billion dollars so far, and 25 projects dealing with energy efficient vehicles have gotten more than 300 million dollars in stimulus money. Make no mistake about it; that’s some serious cash and it's all in the name of going green.
While we're talking about green and growing, the Environmental Protection Agency is able to increase its full time employment opportunities by 154 staff positions! Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope said, "Taking the agencies off the Bush administration's starvation diet has allowed (the agency) to put the 'P' back in EPA.” This can only be considered a huge success.
With all of this stimulus money available, there will come new projects. However, before any of them get started, the Obama administration has decreed that all federal agencies must first consult with the Fish and Wildlife service before beginning any project. That is a 180 degree turn from the previous administration and great news for anyone who reveres the health and well being of the natural world.
Clean coal and biofuels are going to be the next big push. Coal has a lot of energy potential, but it is very dirty and harmful to the environment. If the emissions can be cleaned up, and they will be eventually, and when sustainable biofuels become common fuel for the United States, this country will be leading the way in the global economy.
So far, so good, but there is still a lot of unfinished business and some wait and see attitudes. However, Because Actions speaks louder than words, for my money, I’ll bank on going green now and reap the rewards later.
Source: BecauseAction.com
