Earth Day 2009 Blog

President Obama in Iowa: "A Choice Between Prosperity and Decline"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:06:37 EDT

President Obama returned to Iowa yesterday, where he toured a wind production facility which now occupies part of a factory that had been shuttered in 2007. The factory, the President Obama noted, is "alive again with new industry," as a symbol of a new energy economy.

From WhiteHouse.gov:

The President placed what was happening in Iowa in the context of two centuries of energy innovation in America, but noted America’s leadership in innovation had always been coupled with an alarming rise consumption. The President ran down the all-too-familiar list of problems our energy consumption and oil dependence brings, from those people face every day like prices at the gas pump, to those that have a broader but equally serious impact like the trade deficit, constraints on foreign policy, and the prospect of irrevocable climate change left as a burden for out children.

As the President has stated again and again, these problems also represent a fundamental weakness in our economy which will prevent long term stability as long as we refuse to address them. And while those interests who have profited off of this weakness have aligned to defend the status quo and paint change as a danger, the President forcefully framed what this choice is all about:

"We can't afford that approach anymore -- not when the cost for our economy, for our country, and for our planet is so high. So on this Earth Day, it is time for us to lay a new foundation for economic growth by beginning a new era of energy exploration in America. That's why I'm here.

Now, the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy. The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy. We can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc across the landscape, or we can create jobs working to prevent its worst effects. We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can confront what countries in Europe and Asia have already recognized as both a challenge and an opportunity: The nation that leads the world in creating new energy sources will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy.

America can be that nation. America must be that nation."

Read the President's full remarks . . .

Presidential Proclamation: Earth Day 2009

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:03:50 EDT

In recognition of Earth Day, President Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation this afternoon affirming the importance of protecting our environment and addressing the threat of global warming. But he noted that these challenges also provide opportunity for great innovation and adaptation, and the creation of new jobs and new industries. "History has shown that as we sow, so too shall we reap," the President stated. "Let us rededicate ourselves to a world that provides bountiful harvests for us all not just today, but for many generations to come."

EARTH DAY, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The story of the United States is inextricably tied to our vital natural resources. As we enter a new era filled with challenges and promise, we must protect our land, wildlife, water and air -- the resources that have fueled our growth and prosperity as a Nation and enriched our lives. Doing this not only fulfills a sacred obligation to our children and grandchildren, but also provides an opportunity to stimulate economic growth.

To achieve these ends, no issue deserves more immediate attention than global warming. Scientists have already observed alarming shifts in the natural world, including thawing permafrost, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels.

Climate change presents a serious test for humankind, but it also provides an opportunity for great innovation and adaptation. The United States has risen to such challenges before, and Earth Day inspires us to transcend differences among nations so we may lead the world in protecting our planet from this global threat.

Americans across the country are working hard to help limit the pollutants that cause climate change and reduce their impact on the environment, but we must do more. Individuals and organizations can plant trees, use energy efficient lightbulbs, drive fuel efficient cars, hold clean-up drives, and teach young people about environmental preservation. Small changes in our daily lives can have a big impact on our environment. Individuals can walk, bike, and use public transportation; buy products with less packaging; and recycle and reuse paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum more often. American families can also save money by choosing energy efficient products, turning lights off, unplugging appliances, and cutting back on heating and air conditioning.

Government and business alike must also take serious and sustained action to protect our valuable natural inheritance. Through investments in scientific research and development, and the vigorous pursuit of alternative and renewable energy, we can create millions of green jobs that allow us to reduce greenhouse gases and excel in a competitive global economy. My Administration is committed to increasing fuel economy standards and putting more Plug-In Hybrid cars on the road, weatherizing millions of homes, and catalyzing private efforts to build a clean energy future. My Administration is also working to achieve a comprehensive energy and climate policy, one that will lessen our dependence on foreign oil, make the U.S. the global leader in clean energy technology, and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

President Theodore Roosevelt emphasized our obligation to future Americans, saying, "of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us." Heeding President Roosevelt's call, and carrying forward his spirit of determination, we must commit ourselves to protecting our environment and ensuring the health of our planet so we may share the magnificent blessings of our Earth with our grandchildren.

We do this not only to acknowledge the environment's central role in the development of our Nation but also to recognize the strong ecological interdependence among nations. History has shown that as we sow, so too shall we reap. Let us rededicate ourselves to a world that provides bountiful harvests for us all not just today, but for many generations to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2009, as Earth Day. I encourage all citizens to help protect our environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable world.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

LIVE Earth Day Chat with Majora Carter

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:45:42 EDT

UPDATED: (1:48 PM) - Today's live chat is winding down now, and Majora is signing off:

thanks so much for showing such incredible interest in all this. I feel so much better knowing that you all are so ready to move on green jobs for what they will bring to our lives!

until the next time!

--majora

Thanks to Majora Carter for stopping by, and for staying late to answer extra questions. And thanks to all of you who participated today -- let us know if you'd like to see more of these types of live chats in the future.

You can read the questions and answers below . . .

(12:45 PM) Our live online Earth Day chat with green jobs advocate Majora Carter is about to begin.

(12:56 PM) The questions are already starting to flood in. Majora will be answering as many as possible for the next 30 minutes or so, and we'll be re-posting the answers here in the main body of the blog.

From Michael from Huntington Beach, CA: What do you say to people who feel that the economy should come before the environment?

Majora Carter: It's not possible to choose one or the other. Our economy depends on a healthy environment, not the other way around.

We are already spending too much of our environmental riches to support our antiquated pollution-based economy.

The money we save from positive environmental practices helps any economy.

From: Jacqueline O'Boomer: Majora - Welcome to our blog and thanks for sharing Earth Day with us. I'm curious - would you have an Earth Day "message" for us, as current or future green activists?

Majora Carter: You don't have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one. There should be no sacrifice zones - poor communities that pay everyday with their lives to make a pollution based economy possible.

When we Green The Ghetto, we address CO2 point sources, help people live better & Healthier lives, and create new jobs that lead to a cleaner more efficient relationship with the environment.

From Seth from New York, NY: What's holding us back from creating green jobs? When are they going to appear?

Majora Carter: Well, they don't just "appear" - my life would be easier if they did! :)

As a country, we have to create better conditions for these jobs to flourish.

Now, we have an economy that subsidizes oil, coal, unhealthy food and land use practices at the expense of where green jobs should be thriving.

This is the time to be vigilant about the term "shovel ready." just because it's ready doesn't mean it's smart.

for instance - there are luxury condo, stadium and shopping mall projects that have serious lobbying efforts on their side. Should we pay for these things with our taxes??

Make sure local green jobs with multiple impacts are created with new money from DC. Like wide scale urban forestry projects, energy efficiency programs, that can help prepare cities for climate changes that are coming.

Make those dollars live in your area productively by getting those jobs to people who need the work.

speak up and you will be heard! we need your help!

From Virginia from New York, NY: Hi Majora - You've been on a long road from the Film Department at Brooklyn College! We're so proud and behind you all the way...Green jobs making sure there back up exists for the electric grid?

Majora Carter: so good to hear from you!!

happy you asked about a national grid.

we need a national electrical grid that allows energy to be distributed as freely as information flows on the internet.

it is always sunny or windy or there are tides somewhere in the country; but not always where the demand is.

A nat'l grid will enable renewable energy systems to grow rapidly - reducing our dependence on dirty fossil fuels that pollute and send dollars elsewhere, create green jobs and support new business development.

How about building the transmission lines right next to the interstate highway system? People could see the progress, and hopefully be charging their electric cars from those lines before Pres. Obama's second term.

From Fredericka: I have heard about the Green The Ghetto and other initiatives to bring the "green" initiave to poor communities. I haven't, however, actually seen any such initiatives in my city or surrounding areas. How do I start this movement in my city?

Majora Carter: Openly caring about the needs of others is the first thing you will need to do.

We got to this sad point in our society because we forgot that everybody matters, regardless of their economic status or race. when we act like the least among us is still a treasured and valuable being, then you will find the right thing to do in your situation and city.

Stay strong and happy.

From Kathryn from Miami, FL: There is a lot of talk about organic farming and nobody seems to speak out enough about how much this is needed to really turn global warming around. It's all the chemicals that are being dumped into the earth and waters that are helping to heat up the soil all over the planet. When will the chemical companies and petro-chemical industry be stopped from controlling EVERYTHING in America and even abroad? Will you do something about this before it's too late to turn it around?

Majora Carter: petroleum based fertilizers/pesticides etc have mutiple negative impacts throughout the economy in terms of health, environmental services and jobs.

we do need an effective national food / farm policy that values people over production. we know now that locally produced food is healthier bec it has multiple position impacts, usually smaller family farms, w/ better worker conditions and more sustainable land use practices. they get very little subsidies to support something that is healthy to produce and consume. let's support that. yummy!

Majora Carter: sorry i couldn't answer more questions.
thanks so much for showing such incredible interest in all this. I feel so much better knowing that you all are so ready to move on green jobs for what they will bring to our lives!

until the next time!

--majora

Join the LIVE ONLINE CHAT with Majora Carter: Today at 1:00 PM Eastern

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:59:33 EDT

Noted green jobs advocate, Majora Carter, will be joining us for a live online chat right here at our Earth Day 2009 page starting at 1:00 PM Eastern. She'll be taking questions and talking about President Obama's plan for a new energy economy.

Anyone can join in to follow the live chat, and if you have a My.BarackObama.com account you'll be able to log in and ask your own questions. If you don't have an account, it only takes a few minutes to create one.

Because of the movement you helped build, we are finally within reach of bringing a clean energy economy to America. We have a chance to break our dependence on foreign oil, confront the global climate crisis, and create millions of new jobs in the process.

Majora Carter is one of the nation’s pioneers in successful green-collar job training and placement systems. She founded Sustainable South Bronx in 2001, and as president of the Majora Carter Group she has traveled the world to advise cities, foundations, universities, businesses, and communities on unlocking their green-collar economic potential.

The live chat is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM Eastern. We'll be opening the comments up for questions starting at 12:45 PM.

Van Jones: Green Jobs for a Green Future

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:52:40 EDT

From WhiteHouse.gov, Van Jones, the Special Advisor for Green Jobs for the White House, provides a glimpse of the new energy economy that's on the way -- green roofing:

Green roofing is just one of the countless green job opportunities that can be created with a new energy economy. As a reminder, at 1:00 PM Eastern today we'll be hosting a live online chat with Majora Carter, a pioneer in the green jobs sector who has worked with businesses and communities around the world to help unlock their green-collar economic potential.

Building the American Clean Energy Economy

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:01:25 EDT

To commemorate Earth Day, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis penned an op-ed on green jobs and energy independence that will run in a number of newspapers throughout the country today, titled "Building the American Clean Energy Economy":

On April 22nd, people across the country and around the world will celebrate Earth Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of our natural resources and taking real action to make a difference. For decades, while Americans in towns and cities across the country have worked to make a difference in their communities, politicians in both parties in Washington have ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet. Now, we have a unique and critical opportunity to attack the energy crisis head on and create a comprehensive energy policy that will bolster our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of deadly pollution that is devastating our planet.

During his first months in office, President Obama has already taken some important first strides toward those goals as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act included billions of dollars to be invested in cities and states across the country to strengthen our clean energy industry and help restore America’s place at the forefront of the 21st century global economy.

Recently, we visited the Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania where workers at the facility are being trained for the types of green jobs those Recovery Act dollars are funding. At the community college, these jobs range from the construction and facility upgrades of green buildings to the installation of energy-efficient street lights to conducting energy audits. In a booming clean energy sector, those jobs will range from research and development to skilled labor jobs like weatherizing to floor shifts at wind and solar facilities. And these are jobs that cannot be shipped overseas.

This focus on jump-starting the creation of an American clean energy sector will be the foundation of the president’s energy policy. With the depletion of the world’s oil reserves and the growing disruption of our climate, the development of clean, renewable sources of energy is the growth industry of the 21st century. Rather than sending billions overseas to pay for these new and developing energy technologies, President Obama believes we should invest those dollars here in American jobs and innovation. By developing a clean energy economy here at home, we will end our dependence on foreign oil and begin to make America truly energy independent. That’s not just an economic and environmental imperative, it’s also a national security imperative.

As part of this comprehensive policy, we must crack down on the corporations that pollute the water we drink and the air we breathe. Cracking down on these polluters in a real way will mean that we can finally tackle global warming and its potentially catastrophic effects – because ultimately, our approach to energy policy and combating the effects of global warming are two sides of the same coin.

We have an enormous, urgent environmental and economic task ahead of us, and it is one that we have ignored for far too long. If we are going to create clean energy industry jobs in this country, break the stranglehold that foreign oil has on our economy and punish the polluters who are devastating our natural resources, then we’ve got to be honest about the difficult tasks and tough choices ahead. It’s going to mean telling the special interests that their days of dictating energy policy in this country are over. It’s going to mean refusing to settle for the status quo and the same ineffective policies that have held us back for over 30 years, created price shocks and fostered energy dependence. This president is committed to tackling these challenges head on to create a clean energy policy that works for all Americans, so that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren not just a stronger economy, but a cleaner planet.

-- by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

Earth Day 2009

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:26:36 EDT

Today marks the 39th anniversary of Earth Day -- the environmental awareness and appreciation day founded by United States senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. Earth Day has spread around the world, and today more than one billion people in nearly 175 countries are expected to take part in celebrations.

We'll have coverage of Earth Day events throughout the day here, including a special live online chat with green jobs advocate Majora Carter, starting at 1:00 PM Eastern.

A New Energy Economy

Christopher Hass — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:18:02 EDT

"Creating a new energy economy isn't just a challenge to meet, it's an opportunity to seize -- an opportunity that will create new businesses, new industries, and millions of new jobs.
... In just a few years, we can watch cars that run on a plug-in battery come off the same assembly lines that once produced the first Ford and the first Chrysler. We can see shuttered factories open their doors to manufacturers that sell wind turbines and solar panels that will power our homes and our businesses. We can watch as millions of new jobs with good pay and good benefits are created for American workers, and we can take pride as the technologies, and discoveries, and industries of the future flourish in the United States of America. We can lead the world, secure our nation, and meet our moral obligations to future generations." -- Barack Obama, August 4th, 2008

For decades, Washington has ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet. Now President Obama is committed to a comprehensive energy plan that will generate millions of clean energy jobs, while breaking our dependence on foreign oil and reducing the threat of pollution.

• The President’s energy policy will jump-start the creation of an American Clean Energy sector that will create millions of clean energy jobs. This sector will create good jobs at good wages in research for new technologies, for skilled workers who weatherize our homes and buildings, and for workers in the factories that manufacture wind turbines. These are good jobs that cannot be shipped overseas.

• Investments in a new American Clean Energy sector are critical to restoring America’s role as a global leader in the clean energy industry. American businesses need these investments now to compete with companies in Asia and Europe whose countries are ahead of the United States in making aggressive investments in clean energy. Rather than sending billions overseas to pay for these technologies, we can start investing these dollars here in American jobs and innovation.

• We must make investments in clean and alternative energy sources that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and begin making America energy independent. Investments in solar power, wind energy and bio-fuels will not only create clean energy jobs, they are also an important element in securing our economic and national security.

• As part of this comprehensive energy policy we must also take aggressive steps to crack down on corporations that pollute our rivers and streams, the water we drink and the air we breathe. These steps will also help to finally tackle global warming and its potentially catastrophic effects. It’s important to remember that our approach to energy policy and attacking pollution and the effects of global warming are two sides of the same coin.