There comes a time in some presidencies when the person in charge can step up and become the recognized champion of a cause, the uniter of the nation with a powerful vision in the wake of a crisis. George Bush had such a moment after 911 in a speech before Congress, and to the amazement of many (including this writer), he met the test. President Obama’s own potential true leadership moment could come tomorrow night in his televised speech about the tragedy now playing out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. Obama will here play the role of America’s judge-in-chief, and doubtless, comforter-in-chief as well. The opening focus of this speech must of course be on the massive environmental damages being inflicted on one of this country’s richest natural treasures. There will be expressions of anger about the economic consequences that so many people in this region are undergoing. And there will be both promises of more government resources to the area’s cleanup, and other promises to make the prime perp of this tragedy, BP, pay its costs.
The real opportunity with this speech, however, could come if the president then goes on to promise to become America’s alternative energy president, and announces specific steps he is taking to immediately implement this promise.
I was writing and working in the alternative energy field as far back as the 1970s, and can still clearly remember the rap from oil and coal executives, as well as Washington leaders, in those years. It’s not hard to remember because the exact same rap is being heard today, 40 years later. Here’s how it goes: “Of course I support solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative resources. I have grandchildren, too, and I want them to live in a cleaner, less polluted world. But wide-scale use of alternative energy resources is still decades down the line.”
They said “decades down the line” decades ago. They continue to say it today, decades later. How much longer are we going to procrastinate? Other countries aren’t.
China today is the largest solar equipment manufacturer. It also spent almost twice as much on alternative energy R&D last year as the U.S. Germany and little Denmark have forged ahead of us with solar and to a still greater extent wind. The U.K. is ahead with potential wave power systems. Italy, Iceland, and even the Philippines are doing things with geothermal we could have done decades ago but didn’t.
So here’s my suggestion for President Obama’s leadership moment tomorrow night on national TV. Judge and comfort. Then look directly at the American people and lead. Espouse a near-term, alternative energy vision. Make a firm commitment to follow through and announce immediate steps to follow through.
Don’t make the mistake of Jimmy Carter, whose Energy Research & Development Administration (ERDA) in the 1970s was a bureaucratic swamp generating little more than position papers and work for grant writers. And don’t throw the alternative energy ball back at a special interest-riven congress. Bureaucrats and congress will jump foursquare on this wagon only if the wagon has a determined driver who has inspired his people.
The federal government owns or leases 1.2 million buildings around the country. Demand that every federal agency occupying them start purchasing on-site solar, wind, geothermal, and other systems. Make this a priority part of these agencies’ budgets.
There’s no need to wait for this equipment to arrive in the market. No need for time deadening studies. Solar water heaters have been commercial and widely used around the world for more than 100 years. Wind power has been used for millenia. This is the way for government to immediately kick start a languishing domestic market and bring down unit costs that will generate far more rapid dissemination in the private market.
Without a vision the people are lost. Give us one tomorrow night, Mr. Obama.
This writer can be reached at wallstreetpoet.com