(treehugger.com)
President Obama seems to have designed a stimulus plan that will turn our whitewashed capital into the Emerald City. Now, with that plan passed in part, our president can lay the first brick in our yellow brick road back to economic stability. He’s spoken about greening the country and the economy, offering more opportunities for the newly coined “green collar” worker. But just how green is Obama’s new plan?
In an EcoSolutions article featured on CNN.com, some experts weighed in. World Resources Institute worker, Robert Heilmayr, says that, “green components have a long-term efficiency gain.” He also claims that for every billion dollars invested in green energy, there will be a $450 million surplus.
Obama himself has said: “I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV — if you’re headed for a cliff, you’ve got to change direction. Some alternatives to our current, wayward path? Improved fuel efficiency, for starters, along with the state-regulated, vehicle emission standards.
However, some startling amendments have been made to the stimulus bill. The energy efficient federal building fund has gone from $7 million to $3.5 million, only 25% of the Environmental Protection Agency Superfund has stuck, and the Energy Loan Guarantees are out entirely.
Seems like a Catch 22. We need to jump start the economy as fast as we can and yet, does that mean we disregard our immediate surroundings, without which a stable economy would be irrelevant? I’m sure Obama will find alternatives; green tax cuts, for instance, have been proposed. The problem seems to stem not from a misunderstanding on the part of our new leader, but on his fickle senate.
The long-term investment in energy is just the first step in creating an economy that will last us beyond the Obama administration. Science and studies have proven that we can trust in the technology and in the kickback. What are we waiting for?
XO, The Green Gamine
greengamine.wordpress.com 