Monday
Dec222008
Obama and the Environment
Monday, December 22, 2008 at 11:31PM | Share Article | BlogOnSmog | Sphere: Related Content Stumble It! |
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| The soon-to-be Obama government is about to be tested unlike any previous government in American history. Inheriting a massive deficit, an ongoing financial / real estate crisis, declining oil supplies and climate change, president-elect Obama will have a great deal of difficulty resolving these often conflicting challenges. My sister recently told me that she has lived through at least three recessions and she has never read the type of headlines she reads today. I agree with her totally. We are on the verge of a depression and there is little left the government can do to prevent it. The real question is whether or not Obama has the conviction to follow through with his promised environmental plans in the face of this rapidly declining financial landscape. One of the major issues on the table is the recovery plan for the big three auto companies. Part of their proposal is to re-tool for greener, more fuel efficient vehicles. But what does this do for their business(es)? The rapid decline in auto sales has nothing to do with fuel efficient vehicles. There are lots of buyers for American gas-guzzling automobiles. But there are few lenders. Let's face it. Banks don't care about green cars. They are interested in only whether the borrower can afford the item he/she wants to buy. With tightening credit, we can no longer buy the cars we would all like to own., whether it be a guzzler or a green car Times are difficult and they are likely to become even more so. BUT, a depression may be the best thing for our precious earth. Fewer greenhouse gases will certainly be emitted and this will give us time to re-engineer our future. It will be up to the Obama government to make this happen. Either we have an eco-future or not. Let us hope Obama is up for the task. |
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