So glad to receive your comment. I will give you a call. I think you highlighted one of the systemic problems with renewables, i.e., it is not an integrated system, force, or approach. Like you, I think our fossil fuel dependence will bankrupt America in a very short period of time. Could you clarify your point #2. I don’t understand it.

I heartily agree with you we have the responsbility and only a short window of opportunity for America to lead the way to rapid sustainability progress. I have that same feeling as you in relation to putting a man on the moon. However, I liken what we have to do more to our transformation to fight World War II. There were massive industrialization and retooling that were driven in very short period of times, as well as total public behavior transformation through new rules and PR (sort of ‘propoganda’). I think Obama is a gift to all of us. He is not going to be perfect, but can provide the leadership and calmness of purpose. However, I haven’t heard him make sustainability our #1 US goal for the next 5 years. I realize he has had the economy disaster, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, etc. to contend with, but I want him to do a John Kennedy or FDR for sustainability. I’d love to see him announce, Kyoto Support (which is weak answer to climate change at best) measurable goals and immediate rules to involve every American and to make a statement to the world, e.g.,

-Announce he will take the Kyoto Protocol, but commit the US to even more stringent requirements.
-The National Speed Limit can be no more than 55 mph anywhwere in the country as of 10/1/09.
-Close all drive-throughs nationwide by 1/1/10
-Require states and localities to institute laws that don’t allow idling of a car over 60 seconds by 10/1/10.
-Immediately TERMINATE all subsidies to oil, gas, coal (any fossil fuel), OK by 1/1/10.
-I know unpopular at least in the short term, but announce $1 tax on gas that goes up $.50 each year and a carbon tax on businesses and residential energy use. I think 50% of these taxes can be used to reduce income taxes for those that make less than $250,000 and the other 50% for massive renewable energy deployments. I’d much rather pay ourselves that give the money away to oil producing countries.
-Although Obama announced an average miles per gallon for cars and light trucks, I don’t think it is stringent enough. I don’t think he will change that, but I think what would be equally effective is a standard that says any new car or truck getting less that 20 miles per gallon cannot be sold in the US after the 2011 model year or if they are sold, a tax is applied for the environmental damage they cause based on the expected life of the vehicle. This tax would go right to renewable energies.

-Institute national tax on garbage (business and residential) and use 50% of tax to decrease income taxes for those making under $250,000 and use the other 50% for superfund or environmental clean-ups.
-Ban all plastic bags (Can you believe in Florida, they passed a law that no municipality can ban for plastic bags, charge for plastic bags, or tax plastic bags?!) as of 1/1/10.

-Introduce a small incentive to replace grass with non-water requiring materials.
-Make water conservation due to drought conditions a requirement nationwide as the new, everyday standard.
Require that companies take on the burden of proving the safety of the materials used in all their products, not the government’s job to prove they are unsafe, starting 1/1/10.

I am sure there are a few other almost immediate things that can be done to have a significant short term impact and involve every American in the crisis we face from global warming, running out of oil and water, as well as not recycling enough. To change a system and set of behaviors, we have to change the rules. You can see that I am for the polluter paying, so that we encourage behavior change. You can also see that I am oriented to less income tax and more impact and use taxes.

Some of these things may seem too hard to do. I think Obama has the political capital to do it. I also think these are minor steps compared to what we will be faced with in a very short time. I have written Obama and am contacting all my representatives to take out loud action on climate change that touches the lives of every American. It is the only way I can see of waking the public up and not letting it stew in denial and apathy.

Last, but not least. I think Obama needs to start, little by little, helping the country to use systems thinking. The public is perfectly capable of understanding basic systems traps and drawing conclusions about action. I am pretty sure Obama is a systems thinker. However, I see no proof that Congress has a clue. The public is perfectly capable of understanding The Natural Step sustainability principles. With a focus on systems thinking and The Natural Step, we would take more effective actions to drive our systems to the results we need.

Thanks again for your comment!

I’ll call you tomorrow,

Debbie Deland

Ok, I’ll get off my soap box……..

but, I would really like to talk to about this if you are interested my number is 508-876-9963.

Best Regards,

Mark