The President-Elect Does His Part

Washington, D.C. -- Saturday noon we got the word came: In his weekly radio and YouTube message, President-Elect Obama had announced the details of his stimulus package, and a massive program to retrofit public buildings for higher performance and energy efficiency was the very first plank. This is rapid and spectacular delivery on his campaign promises. What's more, the third plank he announced (huge investment in improving school buildings) also is directly tied to energy efficiency.

But Obama also gave the environmental community a challenge. His second plank, "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s," will only be as green as we work to make it. Obama made it clear that he wants and needs projects to flow quickly -- the economy is hanging by a thread. He said state officials would lose the federal stimulus dollars if they do not quickly use the money to repair highways and bridges. And "fix it first" is the right approach both economically and environmentally. Repairing existing infrastructure is both more efficient and more sustainable than encouraging sprawl by building new roads and facilities.

But environmentalists will need to wade in and get their hands dirty at the local level to make sure that the projects that truly are repairs and retrofits get priority and that wasteful, pork-barrel "bridges to nowhere" disguised as retrofits get exposed. Because we can be sure that the development lobby in many states will try to end-run the President-elect's intentions.

That's where we have to do our part. I'm optimistic, though -- in part because since the election a new spirit seems to have been ignited. People seem ready to approach things with a fresh seriousness and willingness to stretch and help the new government succeed.

One of my favorite examples of this spirit comes from Mumbai, just ravaged by terrorist attacks. One of the victims, Ashok Kamte, was a top police officer, and a graduate of St. Xavier’s College, a very elite school. A TV reporter was interviewing students about the impact of his death and found them outraged at the failures of their government. They talked about improving the system by joining the police. When the reporter, skeptically, challenged them, probing "Isn't this just idle talk about creating change? Are you really going to join the Police College?" the students reached 12,000 miles away for a touchstone of authenticity. "Yes, we can," they fired back in unison.

Comments

[Peter Bray]

Carl, why on earth aren't you guys lobbying harder for a pro-conservation Secretary of the Interior? Mike Thompson, with his Safari Club International buddies, and his votes against Tongass roadless areas, is the WRONG choice for this powerful position. You guys should really speak up more on this vital issue! (I can only hope you are speaking behind the scenes for Grijalva or another conservation and science-minded pick!)