Last October 5, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu stood up before a conference of renewable energy advocates in Washington, DC and made an announcement. "As we move toward a clean energy economy, the White House will lead by example," said Sec. Chu. "I'm pleased to announce that, by the end of this spring, there will be solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House."
Tomorrow, June 21st, is the final day of spring and despite over 125,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers.000 signatures on a letter asking President Obama to meet his deadline, it looks like the Administration will #fail to get solar on the roof in time. I've been on and off the phone with the Department of Energy, the agency in charge of the installation, and the best answer I can get is that the installation is a "federal procurement project" that the spokesman isn't authorized to comment on.Largest Collection of billabong boardshorts,
Ok, I understand, home improvements can be easy to procrastinate on, but look at all the Administration has achieved on climate and energy since last October. Betsy Kolbert outlined some of the most notable accomplishments in her recent New Yorker piece:
Since the midterm elections, Obama has barely mentioned climate change,What to consider before you buy oil painting supplies. and just about every decision that his Administration has made on energy and the environment has been wrong. In March, the Administration announced that it would be opening up new public lands in Wyoming for coal mining. In April, the White House delayed plans to impose stricter controls on the mining technique known as mountaintop removal. In May, the Administration put on hold rules aimed at cutting pollution from power plants at places like paper mills and refineries. Also in May, the President announced plans to increase domestic oil production by speeding up permits to drill off the coast of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. "Is Obama's call for more drilling bad messaging masquerading as cynical policy—or vice versa?" the liberal blog Climate Progress asked.
When it comes to handouts for big polluters,We processes for both low-risk and high risk merchant account. President Obama seems to have felt "the fierce urgency of now," but when it comes to climate, the best advocates can get is a "deliberative process."
I've been trying to think about some of the reasons for this solar #fail.
President Obama's political advisors may be worried about comparisons to Jimmy Carter, who installed solar panels on the White House roof in 1979 only to have them removed by President Reagan in 1986. They might be comforted to know that President Bush also installed solar panels at the White House (not on the roof, but on a utility shed nearby). More importantly, public support for solar power and renewable energy is overwhelming: a recent Yale poll shows that 91% of Americans think investing in clean energy should be a high priority. What Team Obama really should be worrying about is the perception that the President can't get anything done. The timidity and politicking on show in this decision is not just a good way to isolate the progressive base, but also to lose moderates who are looking for a strong leader who can get out there and save the economy. Strapping on a tool belt, hammering in a solar panel, and announcing a green jobs program would be a good start.
But speaking of the economy, isn't a solar panel just the type of luxury we can't afford these days? In fact, installing solar on the White House makes such good fiscal sense even Paul Ryan could approve. According to the team at Sungevity, the California based solar company that offered to install Obama's panels for free, a solar array on the White House could see about a 5 year payback. Solar panels would cut costs, not increase them. Obama himself has spoken at number of solar companies since becoming President and emphasized the importance of renewable energy to the economic recovery.
What about the difficulty of getting the panels up on the roof? Won't they get in the way of the snipers and all the hi-tech gadgets they must have up there? The Administration already approved the decision, so clearly the installation is possible (maybe the panels give the snipers some cover?). And other world leaders have shown that with the right motivation, the installation can be done quickly: when President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives heard of 350.org's challenge to world leaders to install solar on their houses, he called up a solar firm, got a bid, and a few weeks later was up on the roof hammering in 48 new panels himself.
No doubt, there would be criticism of the installation.the Injection mold fast! The chattering class would harp on the Carter comparison rather than look at the actual polling. Conservatives would likely seize on the fiscal argument and make Obama out as an elitist (also not looking at the polling). Perhaps most worrisome for the administration, however, would be the vehement opposition from fossil fuel companies and their front groups like the US Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, of course, sits directly across the street from the White House. They haven't put solar panels on their roof, but they do let Fox News use it for their White House coverage. With the Chamber promising to spend over $100 million in the 2012 election to block President Obama's agenda on everything from healthcare to climate, one would think that a nice shining solar panel on the roof of the White House, in plain view from the Chamber's windows, would be a gesture even Rahm Emmanuel could appreciate.
What's just as disappointing as the criticism of from opponents to climate action, is the knuckle dragging and hand-wringing of administration allies. In an election year, drawing attention to any of Obama's failings is taboo. "Political reality" is tough, they say. Well, with scientists regularly sounding the alarm and extreme weather already devastating communities across the planet, reality reality doesn't look so good either. Waiting until 2013 to see any movement on climate isn't an option. And in the end, what's really needed on climate is more than policies, it's political leadership. What's needed is a Presidential speech from the White House roof with a shining set of Made-in-America solar panels as the backdrop.
Tomorrow, June 21st, is the final day of spring and despite over 125,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers.000 signatures on a letter asking President Obama to meet his deadline, it looks like the Administration will #fail to get solar on the roof in time. I've been on and off the phone with the Department of Energy, the agency in charge of the installation, and the best answer I can get is that the installation is a "federal procurement project" that the spokesman isn't authorized to comment on.Largest Collection of billabong boardshorts,
Ok, I understand, home improvements can be easy to procrastinate on, but look at all the Administration has achieved on climate and energy since last October. Betsy Kolbert outlined some of the most notable accomplishments in her recent New Yorker piece:
Since the midterm elections, Obama has barely mentioned climate change,What to consider before you buy oil painting supplies. and just about every decision that his Administration has made on energy and the environment has been wrong. In March, the Administration announced that it would be opening up new public lands in Wyoming for coal mining. In April, the White House delayed plans to impose stricter controls on the mining technique known as mountaintop removal. In May, the Administration put on hold rules aimed at cutting pollution from power plants at places like paper mills and refineries. Also in May, the President announced plans to increase domestic oil production by speeding up permits to drill off the coast of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. "Is Obama's call for more drilling bad messaging masquerading as cynical policy—or vice versa?" the liberal blog Climate Progress asked.
When it comes to handouts for big polluters,We processes for both low-risk and high risk merchant account. President Obama seems to have felt "the fierce urgency of now," but when it comes to climate, the best advocates can get is a "deliberative process."
I've been trying to think about some of the reasons for this solar #fail.
President Obama's political advisors may be worried about comparisons to Jimmy Carter, who installed solar panels on the White House roof in 1979 only to have them removed by President Reagan in 1986. They might be comforted to know that President Bush also installed solar panels at the White House (not on the roof, but on a utility shed nearby). More importantly, public support for solar power and renewable energy is overwhelming: a recent Yale poll shows that 91% of Americans think investing in clean energy should be a high priority. What Team Obama really should be worrying about is the perception that the President can't get anything done. The timidity and politicking on show in this decision is not just a good way to isolate the progressive base, but also to lose moderates who are looking for a strong leader who can get out there and save the economy. Strapping on a tool belt, hammering in a solar panel, and announcing a green jobs program would be a good start.
But speaking of the economy, isn't a solar panel just the type of luxury we can't afford these days? In fact, installing solar on the White House makes such good fiscal sense even Paul Ryan could approve. According to the team at Sungevity, the California based solar company that offered to install Obama's panels for free, a solar array on the White House could see about a 5 year payback. Solar panels would cut costs, not increase them. Obama himself has spoken at number of solar companies since becoming President and emphasized the importance of renewable energy to the economic recovery.
What about the difficulty of getting the panels up on the roof? Won't they get in the way of the snipers and all the hi-tech gadgets they must have up there? The Administration already approved the decision, so clearly the installation is possible (maybe the panels give the snipers some cover?). And other world leaders have shown that with the right motivation, the installation can be done quickly: when President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives heard of 350.org's challenge to world leaders to install solar on their houses, he called up a solar firm, got a bid, and a few weeks later was up on the roof hammering in 48 new panels himself.
No doubt, there would be criticism of the installation.the Injection mold fast! The chattering class would harp on the Carter comparison rather than look at the actual polling. Conservatives would likely seize on the fiscal argument and make Obama out as an elitist (also not looking at the polling). Perhaps most worrisome for the administration, however, would be the vehement opposition from fossil fuel companies and their front groups like the US Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, of course, sits directly across the street from the White House. They haven't put solar panels on their roof, but they do let Fox News use it for their White House coverage. With the Chamber promising to spend over $100 million in the 2012 election to block President Obama's agenda on everything from healthcare to climate, one would think that a nice shining solar panel on the roof of the White House, in plain view from the Chamber's windows, would be a gesture even Rahm Emmanuel could appreciate.
What's just as disappointing as the criticism of from opponents to climate action, is the knuckle dragging and hand-wringing of administration allies. In an election year, drawing attention to any of Obama's failings is taboo. "Political reality" is tough, they say. Well, with scientists regularly sounding the alarm and extreme weather already devastating communities across the planet, reality reality doesn't look so good either. Waiting until 2013 to see any movement on climate isn't an option. And in the end, what's really needed on climate is more than policies, it's political leadership. What's needed is a Presidential speech from the White House roof with a shining set of Made-in-America solar panels as the backdrop.
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