Obama Answers Green Economy Questions (VIDEO)

The AP reports that President Obama was campaigning for his stimulus bill in Elkhart, Indiana. He's making the case that the United States can't afford to wait longer for an economic stimulus.

At the town hall meeting, audience members had questions for him about the economy in general, but drilled down later to the greener parts of the stimulus, asking if there would indeed be provisions for rebuilding the US economy with renewable energy and sustainable businesses.

WATCH:

Comments

[jan4insight]

Obama's words about green economy are so sweet to my ears. We made a genuine start down this path during the Carter administration, only to have it derailed by the Reagan Regression. Can you imagine where we'd be now if we'd spent the last 30 years putting this kind of effort into a greener planet, instead of fighting the GOP's obstructionist policies all those years? It makes me weep to think of the lost opportunities, and lost lives (cf. Australia).

[Greenguy25]

Those of us making a living with renewable energy businesses have seen a spike in activity since Obama started talking green economy last year, so keep the discussion going and we will do our part by spending money and creating jobs.

Eight years ago, when we started our first renewable energy web site, we were one of only a few and we still spent thousands each month on advertising to pull in viewers. Today we can post one free blog comment and drive thousands to the site, I call that progress

Green Jobs, Green Investments, Green Business Opportunities, Green JobTraining, Green Edu.

http://www.mygreenscene.com

[Quelthias]

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[jan4insight]

Thanks for the heads-up, and a reminder to use those pop-up blockers!

[Joy101]

Yet another city voting against their own interest, What's the matter with Elkhart?

[MarkDixon]

I've got a couple of ideas that I'd like to toss out into the room for debate about how to get our economy moving again, particularly a green economy:

Idea 1: Solar Roadways. Convert our roads to solar panels and drive on them. By combining the costs of power generation and road creation into a single entity, it actually becomes cost competitive with traditional roads and electricity-- but without all the CO2 and nuclear pollution. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3PeSm6_hTE and learn more about Solar Roadways at the website: http://solarroadways.com/

Idea 2: As Wes Jackson puts it, "Measure our success by how independent of the extractive economy we become." He says this and more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDSn-bDyvdA . Then, take it a step further and completely change our agricultural system to one that is sustainable, carbon sequestering, and healthy for people and animals. Amazing that they all go together-- how convenient! Wes Jackson talks about that idea here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuaIcnkusC0 .

I met Scott Brusaw from Solar Roadways and Wes Jackson in person and carried out these interviews as part of the YERT team (Your Environmental Road Trip). After interviewing 800 people about sustainability in one year, I think that these are a couple of the most important people to talk about right now!

[Ryan Hill]

I went through the solar roadways web site - this idea is amazing! According to the site they are building scaled down versions of the "panels" for proof of concept, and they are trying to secure funding to develop full-scale working prototypes to test. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help them get funding? Is there anything I can do as an individual? I would love to help them get this idea off the ground.

[Alyssa Delbridge-Ramos]

As a person that has been following this project for a while let me say that it has grown so much in this past year. I cannot speak for inventor Scott Brusaw but I can say that he does answer his emails and he is eager to hear from the public. If you want to help I would send him an email. I am very excited to see where this project goes, the possibilities are endless. This could really change our world. I really would like to see more publicity for this project, if you can think of any way to get the word out please do so. The more publicity this idea gets the more likely that it will become a reality.

[Ryan Hill]

I checked out the solar roadways web site - this is an amazing idea with endless possibilities! I understand they are looking for sources of funding. Does anyone have any ideas about how they can get funding? Is there anything I can do as an individual to help out?

[plantguy]

Power can't be shipped from oversees so that means power companys employ americans and pay taxes where wind turbines & solar panels manufacturing will be outsourced as the rest of our industry has already been hit with. The operation and maintence needed for wind and solar energy require less employees so in the long run...................................less americans working ....................................more money for the other countries.

[Laurie Scheid]

Oh, so that means do nothing and just buy power from them. This is the kind of idiotic thinking that will soon be very marginalized. Lazy and skeptical are two things that don'y go togehter well dude, respect your president and let him do something, or else don't complain when you freeze or fry.

[SouthJerseySteve]

Solar panels and windmills are so hot!

[Ted Wells - Huffpost Blogger]

A President of The USA talking thoughtfully and in complete sentences about a major issue facing our country and planet? Am I dreaming? I like this this new world where the oilmen in the White House are replaced by others with long range vision and reason.

Let's back the stimulus America. Call/email your reps and tell them to get moving. If not for the sake of the economy and jobs, do it for the momentum and $power$ it will give the green movement.

[SouthJerseySteve]

The JR Ewings have left the White House! Happy Day.... why am I not surprised JWB moved to Dallas?

[VisitorFromMars]

President Obama's dislaying the "ROPEADOPE"....

[SouljahBoy]

Speaking on behalf of the GOP. We are against eco-friendly cheap energy. We are against the make work jobs of the environmental movement. We are against anything that will put people back to work, with Democrats getting the credit. We are against any mortgage help for homeowners without the money going straight to the banks & mortgage. No foreclosure moratorium, that's welfare. The tax cuts of the stimulus bill do nothing for the working people earning $250K or more. What about the wealthy who need more tax shelters and the elimination of the estate tax. This bill is unfair to corporate America and promotes laziness and welfare.

[Skobrin]

I think I'm going to have to invoke Poe's Law here.

[ChiProgressive]

right on!

[billionaireby16]

Way to be Heads-Up on that California Utlity-Incentive... That and making utility companies produce a certain percentage of their energy as Green energy are great ideas!!!

Good stuff Mr. President!!!