It's the Environment, Stupid.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

State of the Union and the Environment

Bush's speech writers mentioned climate change - once - in a teeny section about energy in the State of the Union Address.

Not nearly as creative as last year's linking fighting climate change to fighting terrorism, but the speech writers did manage to imply federal support of clean-coal and hydrogen technologies without actually coming out and saying so, then sandwiching the 'n' word in between (in the same sentence as renewables)...
Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions. (Applause.) Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. (Applause.) Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future. (Applause.)

The speech writers did also include a bit about supporting a post-Kyoto agreement (of course, again, without naming names), yet, still standing strong on the U.S.'s 'we're not going to unless they do' platform.
Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. (Applause.)

This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. (Applause.) The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology. (Applause.)


Of course I'm not quite sure how the U.S. is going to be a leader in developing this cleaner technology, which will free us from our dependence on foreign oil - we're either going to have to spend more money on education to increase our social capital, or loosen immigration laws to bring in others to do it.

5 Comments:

  • Nice post Amanda! And not to discount your great analysis, but really, analyzing anything Bush or any other GOPer says on the environment is really a waste of time since, as you indicate, even when they are on target, they are generally LYING for political points.

    >>>I'm not quite sure how the U.S. is going to be a leader in developing this cleaner technology

    Easy. No more billions of dollars of tax breaks for big oil! Invest that money instead in green collar jobs.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 16:58  

  • Oops! Amy, not Amanda! My bad :-) Thx for the blog! And drop on by Green Brooklyn sometime and leave some comments!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 17:01  

  • just wanted to share some links addressing the obama-bashing emails that have been circulating. Info at:
    http://sallowsiserary.blogspot.com/

    By Blogger Sallow Siserary, at 14:31  

  • Religion of economic growth: an unsustainable human enterprise



    Is UNBRIDLED Economic Globalization a material breach of God's Creation? Perhaps the time is coming when government officials stop employing every ruse under the sun to protect the selfish interests of over-consumers and hoarders, and start by choosing to do the right thing?

    Life and human institutions like national economies are utterly dependent upon the Earth for existence; but too many of our leaders view the Earth as some kind of thing to be manipulated, dissipated, and ravaged secondary to their adamant practice of a religion called Endless Economic Growth. This clear and obvious object of their idolatry is the soon to become unsustainable expansion of the leviathan-like, global political economy. What a colossal sham. What a shame. What a shambles for our children to confront.

    Always with thanks,

    Steve

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 09:18  

  • Al Gore has taken chicken littles job away maybe chicken little should sue

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:37  

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