Keep the White House Drapes: Bring Back the Solar Panels

Remember when the McCain campaign accused Barack Obama of "already measuring the White House drapes." It was more false populism, suggesting that it was the bi-racial son of a single mother who embodied a sense of entitlement, instead of the admiral's son who couldn't remember how many houses he had. But let's take McCain's challenge literally, and ask whether Obama needs to change the White House drapes at all. Or the White House rug or furniture or décor, all of which new presidents traditionally replace when they move in. Obama could replace all this as expected, and no one would deem it exceptional. But suppose instead that he took the opportunity to break with tradition, and make a powerful symbolic stand by instead using the already allocated money to bring back additional solar panels (Bush actually brought back some in 2002 but more could be added), and make the White House more energy efficient.

Given tough economic times, we're all going to have to make hard choices, so why not begin with these symbols. Suppose Obama seized the moment by publicly saying something like "I know the President or their spouse traditionally selects a new rug and new décor. We're supposed to measure the White House drapes and change them. But these are hard times, and we're going to be careful how we spend the public's resources. So we're not going to redecorate the While House. We're certainly going to do our best to reverse the past administration's failed policies. But furniture is just furniture, and we aren't going to replace what doesn't need to be replaced."

"What we are going to do," Obama could continue, "is to use some of the money we saved to put more of the solar collectors back on the White House roof, the successors of those Jimmy Carter installed when he initiated his renewable energy programs. And we're going to build on efforts that go back to the Clinton years and do everything we can to make the White House and all our Federal buildings models of energy efficiency, because if they aren't, that's something we can fix in a way that will not only help fight climate change, but will also pay back our investment. Much as we'd love to redecorate, there are more important priorities."

This would mark a new direction from trying to consume our way out of our every predicament. After 9/11 my local Seattle paper ran a letter which proclaimed. "Be a patriot. Go out to the mall and buy a sofa." I have nothing against sofas, but all the sofas in the world can't solve the problems that fed Bin Laden's murderous attack, and no matter how lovely the new rug, drapes or sofa Barack and Michelle Obama might bring to the White House, they won't shift us an inch from our economic freefall and our despoliation of our planet But solar collectors and insulation can. They're a core part of the solution. So why not start than at the top, with every possible symbol, including those which promote the profoundly conservative virtues of frugality. If Obama wants to really mark a presidential turning point, I can't think of a better place to start.

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. His previous books include Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. See www.paulloeb.org To receive his articles directly email [e-mail] with the subject line: subscribe paulloeb-articles

Comments

[Wilburrr]

If Bush replaced some of the solar panels, I sure don't see them using Google Earth....

[mlaiuppa]

Don't forget solar hot water too.

And the white house kitchens could provide plenty of scraps for vermiposting. The gardeners would love the compost and so would the roses.

[Mikeeee]

It was President Carter who had the solar panels installed. Who set in motion a plan for energy independence.
If there's going to be a picture of reagan, it should be pointed out that it was reagan who essentially dismantled the greening of America set up by Carter. It was reagan who by doing so, took away an opportunity to make America more secure and in the long run made America more dependent on foreign oil and less secure.
I wonder if they mention that in the reagan library?

[sonomarc]

It's so GREAT to have a smart, capable leader. Obama's 1st year in office is going to bring in a flood of changes - that we can believe in! Exciting times...

[Chaucea]

And bring back the Victory Garden to the White House--organic, heirloom victory garden! :-D

[crossoverwriter]

Not just solar panels but perhaps geothermal heating. We installed it and we are now off the grid. That's what I'm talking about!!!

[yellowdogminnesotan]

I got another idea. Dig up the front yard and show you can retrofit even the oldest of houses with a geothermal heat pump. Keeps houses in the winter warm, and in the summer cool. Lets make the White House as energy efficient as possible by taking all the money that is alloted for remodeling and make the White House Carbon Foot Print zero, any left over money donate. Let's show the American people we can be thrifty, no need to throw out perfectly good items just because they're old.

[mlaiuppa]

Ooo. Excellent idea.

[Wilburrr]

Where can I get plans/instructions? I need information on pipe size and volume needed per square foot (cubic foot?) of house.

[NoCalDrummer]

Sure! Burn a little brimstone to fumigate against the bad spirits in the house (not to mention fleas that might have been tracked in from The Ranch), then get some solar panels in place. Heck, even if it weren't on the main building like roofing material, the idea that the White House is at least PARTIALLY run from a renewable resource is DEFINITELY putting your (or should I say OUR) money where your mouth is.
A President who sets a GOOD example for the Nation. Wow. What a concept!

[sheila]

this is in the purview of the National Park Service, not the President. they are already in favor of putting PV on all federal buildings and have been phasing it in...

now, how about us voters? where are our solar panels? i care a lot more about 350 million people having PV than 4...

[iPolitics]

Reagan was sooo forward thinking by taking out those solar panels Carter put in

Hahaha

[lmvd3]

And why remove them so quickly? No sensible reason...just pure nastiness. Get the panels back in immediately ala reverse-Reaganism. And a belated thanks to Jimmy Carter for installing them!

[mlaiuppa]

Why not. We're reversing all of the other damage instituted by Reagan.

(Let this be a lesson to you. Don't elect actors or former California Governors.)

[Treehuggindirtworshiper]

Well he'd be one step closer to winning me over if he started at home with the change.

[girlwild]

The White House has a flat roof and they could easily orient solar panels to take advantage of the most peak sun hours per day. It would go a long way to saving taxpayer money while setting an example.

We need money for R&D to increase solar efficiency. There are plenty of companies out there doing this, but they are underfunded and it takes years to make any advances. Obama should jump start this industry instead of NASA projects. It will provide jobs all up and down the industry, from R&D through system design, installation and maintenance. He should bring back rebates for homeowners to install systems on their roofs/property. Even grid-tied systems will reduce the amount of power requirements from the overall utility grid. Businesses with large square footage of roofing should utilize solar.

Obama should also institute a larger recycling program to reduce our garbage footprint and to reduce manufacturing costs.

I've just taken 2 online solar design and installation courses (Solar Energy International, a non-profit organization) in preparation for designing and building my own house.

Yes We Can!

[ObjectiveRealist]

[
He should bring back rebates for homeowners to install systems on their roofs/property.
]

Hasn't that already been done?

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/10/bailout-bill-ri.html#previouspost
"It's a pretty comprehensive bill, much more so than extending the [tax credit] for solar. While that's probably the premiere provision, there's a whole lot more in there," said Josh Green, general partner at MDV, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm with large investments in green tech. "I'm not a huge fan of all the pork that was put into the bill, but if it's going to be in there, I'm glad there's all this energy stuff."

[girlwild]

They need to make the rebates larger. The impact on new houses isn't as great because solar is installed in the building phase. They should make it larger for existing houses because homeowners already have significant investment in energy sources like gas furnaces, electric hot water heaters, heat pumps etc. and of course these energy sources are mostly financed in the mortgages. Also, to jump start the economy and provide jobs, this would be a good program. I'd rather see our tax dollars go for this than into the pockets of corporations' executives employed by the companies targeted for bailout.

Think of it like a 21st century WPA.

[research]

We have 42% efficient solar panels now.

We just need to get the price down and the quantity up.

[letsbepeaceful]

Solar panels would be a terrific symbolic measure as well as practical. Replace most of the hall lights, office lights etc with either LED's or high-end fluorescents, use thermal drapes. Light the private spaces with some fluorescents and some incandescents ( I can't stand fluorescents for reading lights). Redecorate the kids' rooms, and choose most of the furniture for the public rooms from that already in storage. After 8 years most of the public spaces (probably the private ones too) will need a paint job, just from wear and tear. That, plus a few of their own pieces and perhaps a more modern sofa or two, would say that they are being practical yet comfortable. They will be there 4 (hopefully 8) years...they need to make the private spaces their own.

[SneathLane]

Solar panels make sense on their own. We don't have to torture the Obama family with Republican furniture.

They're giving up most of their personal freedoms so that President Obama will be able to do his job. No more haircuts at the barber shop, no more shopping in a store, no more playing in the park with the kids, no more reading a book on a park bench on a sunny spring day, no more early morning solitary walks, no more chatting with strangers on a bus. Yes, they'll live in cushy surroundings, with servants to do the housework. But most of us would find the heavy restrictions put on them hard to bear - I know I would. The kids are already finding it difficult.

They will be prisoners to the Secret Service for four or eight years, at least. So encourage them to change the drapes and furniture to fit their taste. George W's furniture will be used elsewhere in the Government; it's not thrown away until it finally falls apart. And the Obamas will be able to find some furnishings that suit them already in government storage. The GSA is a lot more thrifty than the neo-cons claim, and no president gets all new furniture.

We already demand huge sacrifices of our presidents and their families - especially their families. New drapes are a small price to pay in compensation.

[rosiebond007]

In the warm weather the Japanese are required to wear short sleeved shirts, tie - no jacket - and keep the A/C at 78 deg. The Executives were ordered to start the trend and the rest would follow and they did. Energy conservation soared - we could do that in the US couldn't we ???
Let's start at the bottom and move it up - YES WE CAN !

[karela]

The energy efficiency part is fine. However, we're asking the man, and his wife, to take on the highest stress job in the world and to keep at it for four to eight years. I think they need a living space where they can feel relaxed and comfortable. This week I spent some time looking at pictures of the President's personal living quarters under the Bushes. I like Laura Bush very much and I'm sure some of that stuff was ruled by a decorator, but holy cow, there's a bright yellow room as one of the main spaces that I couldn't spend a half hour in without going bonkers. The president needs to honor the country, but it seems to me that a living space where they feel comfortable is a basic honor that we need to offer them. Mamie Eisenhower would have been miserable in Nancy Reagan's rooms and vice versa. Why do suggest that the first family has to be uncomfortable in order to work toward energy efficient public buildings? Don't create stresses for them and be happy that Cindy McCain isn't the one making the decisions. If she spent $300,000 on one outfit . . . I don't think you'll find that the Obama's are into the outrageously exotic, but they should be comfortable. Also, remember that they entertain many important people in their home and people make judgments about us by the environment we live in. Do you really want the Obama's giving out the George

[Paul Loeb - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree that they're sacrificing a huge amount of their personal lives. And if something drives them completely bonkers of course change it. But I think the general principal still holds--that if furniture or rugs or decor works ok for them, there's not need for them to change it just because it's a tradition.

[TrooAmerican]

I totally agree with your article.
There are so many reasons why we should look at the many many ways and examples we can use to be more efficient and less wasteful.
HVAC for large buildings and structures is a huge issue, and so is power generation for a Government that is REally Really high tech citywide.