OK followers... all 4 of you. I have departed on my new blogging journey, feel free to follow me here:
Americans For a Clean Energy Future
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
My Blogging Journey
I set out on this blogging journey just a short time ago with a certain goal in mind. Along the way I found myself taking a bit of a detour. It was my full intention to create a blog that simply documented my attempt at going green (hence the name of the blog). But, if you have been following me the past few weeks you may have noticed that my posts have not been that simple.
The time I spent researching all the ways an individual or a household could go green left me feeling, well, helpless. I'm not saying that there's nothing we can do as individuals or families, but what I realized was that the things that really make the biggest difference are the things that require a whole city or country to come together and do. This realization is what sparked my interest into the subject of my most recent posts, clean energy legislation.
As I set my sights on something a bit more ambitious I began researching what kind of progress our country has made in combating climate change and implementing policies that focus on clean energy for our future. What I have realized is that implementing these policies is much easier said than done. Furthermore I have also realized that not everyone, i.e. the majority of the House, is not on the same page and are just as passionate about not implementing this kind of legislation as I am passionate about implementing it.
My research also lead me to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a bill that passed in the House (before the Republican majority) and was rejected by the Senate. Currently the bill is sitting in limbo, with all the focus being put on the debt crisis and unemployment, clean energy legislation has taken a back seat. After reading small bits and pieces of information on the Bill I have decided that it is important to bring attention back to this kind of legislation. Unless we keep pushing our Representatives and our President to focus on the Bill and others like it, it will just be forgotten.
So, this is where my journey has lead me, it has given me the inspiration to become more involved and to become more educated on the topic of clean energy legislation. Maybe the next step on my journey will be to start another blog, a blog with a better title, perhaps... “Americans For a Clean Energy Future.”
The time I spent researching all the ways an individual or a household could go green left me feeling, well, helpless. I'm not saying that there's nothing we can do as individuals or families, but what I realized was that the things that really make the biggest difference are the things that require a whole city or country to come together and do. This realization is what sparked my interest into the subject of my most recent posts, clean energy legislation.
As I set my sights on something a bit more ambitious I began researching what kind of progress our country has made in combating climate change and implementing policies that focus on clean energy for our future. What I have realized is that implementing these policies is much easier said than done. Furthermore I have also realized that not everyone, i.e. the majority of the House, is not on the same page and are just as passionate about not implementing this kind of legislation as I am passionate about implementing it.
My research also lead me to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a bill that passed in the House (before the Republican majority) and was rejected by the Senate. Currently the bill is sitting in limbo, with all the focus being put on the debt crisis and unemployment, clean energy legislation has taken a back seat. After reading small bits and pieces of information on the Bill I have decided that it is important to bring attention back to this kind of legislation. Unless we keep pushing our Representatives and our President to focus on the Bill and others like it, it will just be forgotten.
So, this is where my journey has lead me, it has given me the inspiration to become more involved and to become more educated on the topic of clean energy legislation. Maybe the next step on my journey will be to start another blog, a blog with a better title, perhaps... “Americans For a Clean Energy Future.”
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Solar Energy for The White House? Yes, please!
In October of 2010 President Obama vowed that the White House would be equipped with solar panels and a solar hot water heater no later than Spring 2011. What a great idea, right? I thought it was a great idea and was excited to hear the news, but here we are approaching the end of Spring and still no solar panels and no solar hot water heater. Other than the fact that the President is not keeping his promise, this may not seem like such a big deal. I mean, how much of an impact can the White House have on the environment after all? But it is about more than just the impact on the environment, it is also about the impact that the message, the President is sending, will have. What better way is there to make the statement that the United States is taking the leading role in combating climate change, and sees the importance of using renewable energy resources, than using them at the White House?
Shortly after the announcement from President Obama CNN.com published an article highlighting the importance of this initiative by quoting the Energy Secretary Steven Chu, "This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home," Chu said in a written statement released by the Energy Department. "Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come." This quote is a perfect summary of what this move says about the President and the United States. It says very clearly that we value leadership at home and across the globe and in order to gain that leadership, we must begin adopting the use of renewable energy resources and policies.
In another article on Huffingtonpost.com, more emphasis is put on the impact of this message when the author, Dina Cappiello says, "The decision perhaps has more import now after legislation to reduce global warming pollution died in the Senate, despite the White House's support. Obama has vowed to try again on a smaller scale." Here it is evident that despite the last clean energy bill's failure in the Senate, Obama still understands the value solar energy and other clean energy resources hold for our future.
Although Obama still has a few weeks left to make good on his promise, I am tempted to believe that it will not get done in time. I would like to see more progress made on clean energy legislation in Washington and I think this would be a great start.
If you would like to see solar panels on the White House by the end of spring, or just by the end of the year, join me in signing this petition to tell the President that it's time to get the ball rolling!
Shortly after the announcement from President Obama CNN.com published an article highlighting the importance of this initiative by quoting the Energy Secretary Steven Chu, "This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home," Chu said in a written statement released by the Energy Department. "Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come." This quote is a perfect summary of what this move says about the President and the United States. It says very clearly that we value leadership at home and across the globe and in order to gain that leadership, we must begin adopting the use of renewable energy resources and policies.
In another article on Huffingtonpost.com, more emphasis is put on the impact of this message when the author, Dina Cappiello says, "The decision perhaps has more import now after legislation to reduce global warming pollution died in the Senate, despite the White House's support. Obama has vowed to try again on a smaller scale." Here it is evident that despite the last clean energy bill's failure in the Senate, Obama still understands the value solar energy and other clean energy resources hold for our future.
Although Obama still has a few weeks left to make good on his promise, I am tempted to believe that it will not get done in time. I would like to see more progress made on clean energy legislation in Washington and I think this would be a great start.
If you would like to see solar panels on the White House by the end of spring, or just by the end of the year, join me in signing this petition to tell the President that it's time to get the ball rolling!
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