President Obama, Wear a Sweater! The New POTUS' Eco-Sins, and Virtues

Loved this piece in the NYTimes about our new President's style; it's kind of an intimate look at the day-to-day life of our new POTUS and how different from Bush he really is. I picked out a few clues from the piece about his eco-cred. Just like most Americans, he has started down the road to green, but has some issues to work on yet.

Yes, I do realize I'm a teensy bit obsessive about the planet, but hey, it's the only one we've got, right? And isn't this man going to be in charge of a huge chunk of it?

'Nuf Said, Onto the Eco Crit!

Nay!
According to Times' reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Obama's senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss (says), "He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there."
-Obama keeps the temps toasty in the middle of winter, a big energy waster. My home office is kept at 62, which works just fine as long as I have a few layers on. Put on a sweater, Mr. President!

Yay!
Obama's keeping a specially-commissioned rug that W. installed, but wants to get rid of some of W's decorative plates. Barack says he's not a 'plates kind of guy.'
-The President is not hot-to-trot on redecorating the Oval Office, a perfect example of reducing consumption and reusing well-made pieces. You can sell those plates on Ebay or Craigslist to one of the last 100 Americans who thinks George W. was a great president, and use the cash for a couple new organic sweaters!

Nay!
Obama seems to eat quite a bit of meat. The Times reports: "For Mr. Obama, lunch generally means a cheeseburger, chicken or fish in his small dining room off the Oval Office."
-Meat is the most energy- and water-intensive food you can eat. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Department reports that 18% of greenhouse gases come from meat and dairy production. Go veg at least half-time Mr. President, and you will save your heart, your colon, and the planet.

Yay!
Obama drinks organic tea- specifically his fridge is packed with Honest Tea (Hey, I love this stuff too!) in Black Forest Berry and Green Dragon flavors.
-Honest Tea works directly with farmers, making sure they receive a fair wage, and organic teas mean tea plantations (most commonly in China and India) aren't drenched in pesticides and herbicides, many of which are banned in the US because they're too hazardous, keeping local water and soil supplies clean for the people and animals who live there. And that means our President isn't ingesting toxic chemicals in his drinks either, keeping him healthier.

Nay!
Obama STILL hasn't committed to planting a Victory Garden at the White House.
-What better way to encourage Americans to grow their own food, embrace local produce AND teach Sasha and Malia the value of clean soil and solar energy than growing a garden! I mean, I know he's been busy closing Guantanamo and all (a HUGE energy saver if there ever was one....and great for human rights too of course), but let's get growing!

Yay!
Obama has a 30-second commute; he eats breakfast and dinner with his family and then heads downstairs to govern all day and half the evening.
-Telecommuting saves fossil fuels and money. The average person can save about $1700 a year and reduce their carbon footprint by working from home as often as possible. Plus you don't have to dress up!

Comments

[Russycle]

Nay to the sweater, I recall Carter and Dan Rather being ridiculed for wearing them. Don't know why Americans hate them, but let's not give Rush and Hannity more ammunition.

[NCTigerboy]

Its wonderful to have a President without the name "Bush" but if we don't show President Obama the things we citizens find important, how do we expect him to know all the changes we desire.
Things need to be pointed out to President Obama, as he has his hands full with the mess the insanely corrupt Republicans and their weak sister Democrats have made of this country.
Environmental issues can not be pushed aside just because we have so many problems in this country to rectify.
I applaud the author for realizing that although strong environmental legislation is crucial, it will not get the attention it deserves because of the desperate need for a Bush clean up.
Legislation is difficult, but since the world is putting President Obama under a microscope, even his personal actions can have a great impact.
If he plants a garden with his children.
If he eats less meat.
If he wears more layers.
If President Obama makes those kind of personal commitments, many will follow suit because of the ease of incorporating these kind of changes in our lives.
Small changes by many people have a great impact and we need more sensible, realistic approaches to environmental issues like the one this author suggests.

[buddhasmelly]

I don't see any evidence that Obama eats an excessive amount of meat. Give the man a break.

[User616]

I agree with the Yay points. He clearly is conscious of his personal decisions and makes an effort to be environmentally friendly. However, I'd like to offer a different perspective on the Nay's.
1. Obama has an extremely important role in the well-being of country in the next few months. I understand there is an environmental impact to turning up the heat, but if he thinks better in a certain temperature while wearing certain clothes, it's better for everyone that he is as comfortable as possible.

2. Again, maybe a routine diet enables him to have some comfort and stability in his day. Let the man eat meat. Maybe he'll come up with a good economic plan over a plate of chicken wings.

3. The garden is important, but most likely not at the top of his list right now.

[Starre Vartan - Huffpost Blogger]

I realize that the president is only a human being and that he has a HUGE job ahead of him, I really do. BUT I expect a lot from myself and my president- I don't think we get anywhere by lowering expectations, and the environment is the MOST important issue right now (no, I'm not kidding, and yes, I know I'm in the minority). Seriously, without a healthy food supply, we don't eat, without clean air, we don't breathe, and without clean water, we get seriously dehydrated :) And there's more of us every single day. And the President's actions will influence millions, so it's not just for himself he makes these choices; his influence stretches far and wide.

[Chris Baskind]

The more I think about the Presidential victory garden idea, the more i like it. Sure, it's showbiz. But showbiz matters, and I like making the point that you can grow food anywhere -- even the White House.