Clean coal, amd cellulosic ethanol.  Disturbing remarks to those of us who oppose them, but I still think experimental projects will be fine.

The results will prove that alternatives we favor ought to get the investment dollars and subsidies.

These were the only points I could criticize.  

This guy is the real deal.  A real leader, who can bring about real change.  The kind that Ghandi and MLK wanted to see in this world.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

We need to bust our butts to get him elected, all.

I'm on that, been making local campaign calls the last two days.  Lots of enthusiasm out there!

One third want bumper stickers and yard signs so far.  Unpecedented results!  In past elections people usually swear and slam the phone down.

Volunteer it feels great!  

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

his staff and his advisers

are all cautious and cynical, people who cower at the prospect of change

the insider clique who think "understanding politics" means never challenging the conventional wisdom of DC

only cataclysm will spark change

hopefully, that is not on the way

You can't expect Barack to talk conservation while he's trying to get elected.

Its erroneously not "perceived" as a job creation engine or being tied to the energy security issue.
Unlike Europe, people have negative emotions about conservation (e.g. visions of wearing a parka to bed!)
At the moment,"conservers" are spread wide and thin and don't really have a voice.

As opposed to ...

NG speaks to voters in Southern Gas Bearing states and rides on the huge pickens plan advertising campaign (hence why its top of list).

Coal speaks to voters in coal states and ties into the huge media blitz by the clean coal group.

Nuclear is safe thing to say with 3 Mile Island being a distant memory.

Solar,Wind and Biofuels speaks to farmers and small rural communities

Autos and CAFE speaks to workers in Big 3 who are loosing their jobs.

So like all elections, the strategy at the moment is to get elected. If he gets in, we may start to see his true thinking on  this topic. I suspect he deeply understands the important role conservation can play in helping to solve the big challenges of jobs/economy, climate change & energy security.

Cheers

Once he wins, then the environmental campaign begins.

Plugin hybrids, ground source heating/cooling, renewable electric mass transit, and rail freight (eventually moving to electric) replacing long haul trucking are really big conservation moves.

And they will produce massive numbers of new jobs.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

now = later

McCain's victory would constitute the effective end of our Democracy, so I will vote for Barack Obama. But I will not pretend for a moment that Obama's energy policy isn't heavily compromised by his indebtedness to the nuclear, coal, and agribusiness lobbies. More nukes, clean coal, and biofuels are the three poorest alternatives to pursue. What a shame that when so much is required we find our true interests, yet again, a distant second place considederation compared to those corporations that command so much of Barack Obama's attention.

So I will vote for the man and then round on him the moment he's elected, challenging him to really rise to the occasion. From what I've seen thus far, I have little reason for hope, but no shortage of resolve for what must be done.

I was generally approving of Barak Obama's speech advocating reduction of our dependence on foreign oil and support of technologies to produce higher mileage cars and wind and solar power. I was disappointed in his support of clean coal and nuclear energy. I was further disappointed that environmental issues achieved only secondary status to the issues of the economy, health care, jobs, and education.  These are all vitally important issues with which I can't disagree.  However, no attention was directed to sustainability, promotion of biodiversity, and protection of our wild spaces.  Minimal attention was given to the immense problem of global warming and the importance of conservation.  I understand that, in order to be elected, a candidate must focus on the issues of most concern to our population, and would hope that environmental concerns will occupy a prominent position in his endeavors once elected.

Marylou Noble

I was generally approving of Barak Obama's speech advocating reduction of our dependence on foreign oil and support of technologies to produce higher mileage cars and wind and solar power. I was disappointed in his support of clean coal and nuclear energy. I was further disappointed that environmental issues achieved only secondary status to the issues of the economy, health care, jobs, and education.  These are all vitally important issues with which I can't disagree.  However, no attention was directed to sustainability, promotion of biodiversity, and protection of our wild spaces.  Minimal attention was given to the immense problem of global warming and the importance of conservation.  I understand that, in order to be elected, a candidate must focus on the issues of most concern to our population, and would hope that environmental concerns will occupy a prominent position in his endeavors once elected.

Marylou Noble

Veritone, don't you think that Obama's speech was meant to reach out to as broad an audience as possible?

He mentioned nuclear, natural gas and coal to satisfy those with right wing views on energy.

Once he's in the White House, he will dump these energy sources and go radically green with biomass, solar and wind.

I liked a lot of what I heard in the speech, but I agree with Veritone that several of the alernateive energy initiatives are decidedly not in the direction I want to go.  But let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good - let's get him elected and keep pushing for the best solutions wherever we can.  

I was glad to hear this:

"But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease."

Tough diplomacy is still a give and take process.  The first things we should consider giving on are the missile defense systems we have pledged to install in eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, etc.).  These are no more than Cold War relics looking for a new lease on life to keep the cash flowing and maintain the military industrial complex as the main source of high wage jobs in many congressional districts.  What a surprise that Putin and company don't buy our story about placing these systems to protect Europe from the Iranians.  

At some point in this process I would like to hear Obama (or somebody, anybody) make the connection between the green economy we all yearn for and the absolutely necessary and way overdue extreme downsizing of the military-industrial complex.  The subject is probably way too controversial for the campaign, but after he's in office...

And it wouldn't hurt to write to your senators and congressmen/congresswomen on the subject now!