By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper
Just days in office, and change is already being felt from the Obama administration. From a draft executive order to close Guantanamo Bay to frozen salaries for top aides, Obama has already started putting his promises into action. But what about his environmental promises?
Though action has not been seen just yet, energy and the environment figured prominently into the president’s inaugural address, which shines a promising light on the future of these important issues. And the House Ways and Means Committee already has begun debating the $20 billion set aside for energy projects in Obama’s stimulus package. In the wake of the anti-environment president, having such funds devoted to clean energy is refreshing.
What’s even more refreshing is that the stimulus package does little to stipulate what those alternative energy sources should be. Of course, the tried and true standards of solar and wind have specific call outs, but beyond that, the field is very open. We can only hope that this encourages the hunt for solutions from a variety of sources, perhaps even some we are not yet even familiar with. I can only think that this will spur innovation and creativity in solving our energy crisis, and bring solutions to commercialization more quickly. And with that innovation, comes jobs in these growing fields to help bolster our sagging economy.
There is also the opportunity for increased communications that showcase companies' green advancements and build consumer support for solutions, which can only continue to drive the industry forward.
As noted in Obama’s inaugural address, our challenges are many. But we are off to a great start in making environmental sustainability a reality.
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