obama makes environmentalists smile

i was very pleased to read a recent new york times article specifying obama´s environmental focus regarding the $787 billion stimulus package. it is high time that our government take the reigns concerning the future of our environment, and i have been absolutely appalled in america´s lack to do so for so long. the truth is the rest of the world looks up to us to take these challenging tasks and do something about them. we are a country made up of creative, intelligent, hardworking and sensitive people who should care about the environment. it has been disappointing that in the past, particularly in the past eight years, the environment has been put on the back burner. therefore, i was extremely happy and frankly not surprised to see obama take this step towards obtaining clean energy. obama stated that this investment in clean energy will ¨double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years.¨ this is extremely exciting because it has the potential to completely shift the way americans use energy today. it is a bitter sweet subject, and quite incredible to hear that just three years is all it takes to double renewable energy...if only this could have been done sooner..yet, i digress...

obama also announced that a large portion of the stimulus package would be given towards more environmentally-friendly programs, including $5 billion for low-income weatherization programs, more than $6 billion for state and local governments, and several billion more to help modernize federal buildings--all with a focus on energy efficiency. ¨smart grids¨ are also high on obama´s to-do list, as well as clean coal projects, and experimentation involving electric car batteries. perhaps the most promising of all these new programs and endeavors is the $500 million that will be invested to help train workers in ¨green jobs.¨ this is exciting because it has the potential to start a ¨trend¨ in the work sector, and if americans see that there are opportunities to make money as well as make a difference, the results for the future could be extremely beneficial. obama´s idea of  restoring the economy and at the same time helping progress the energy agenda has huge potential in transforming america´s energy situation. investments made now can greatly alter the future for green energy for the better, while at the same time replacing the old and dirty with the new and clean.