by Jonathan Hiskes
Whither Obama? There’s a
growing chorus calling for the president to show leadership on the BP oil disaster
by connecting it to America’s fossil-fuel dependence and the potential
of clean-energy investment.
“The silence from the
White House is deafening,” a Clinton-era White House aide told
ClimateWire. “Clearly without a White House push there does not seem
to be adequate political momentum” to pass a Senate clean-energy bill.
Today Thomas Friedman calls the Gulf leak Obama’s 9/11—the biggest opportunity of his presidency to ask
Americans to invest in nation-building clean-energy infrastructure, an opportunity he is so far squandering. I’ve
been
making the same
case.
Yesterday, the Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation
Voters, and Blue Green Alliance (a labor-enviro partnership) held a press
event calling for Obama to put clean energy in the national spotlight.
And actor Robert
Redford released a cable TV ad with NRDC echoing the same message: “The Gulf
disaster is more than a terrible oil spill. It’s the product of a failed energy
policy—one that puts oil-company profits ahead of people and the environment. America needs safe,
clean and renewable energy—not more oil spills … Tell President Obama to
lead America toward a clean-energy future.”
Redford’s accompanying post spells out the situation even
more:
The American Power Act,
drafted by Senators Kerry and Lieberman, is not perfect—but it is a
significant step toward cutting our dependence on fossil fuels, limiting carbon
pollution, and encouraging businesses to shift to clean energy sources.
Unfortunately, the full Senate continues to stall—weighed down by too much infighting and too many special interests. That’s why
we need the president to assert his voice and leadership by letting the Senate—and the American people—know that he is serious about getting clean
energy and climate legislation passed this year.
Quite a spokesman, Mr.
Redford. Here’s the eye-catching ad:
Related Links:
Obama admin overhauls MMS, the agency in charge of offshore drilling
Rand Paul’s Copenhagen rant and other election notes
Friedman nails Obama for his timid response to the “environmental 9/11”
