A portion of the transcript of President Obama’s address to the joint session of congress and the American people. Terrific news that our President is not taking his eye off the ball on energy - February24, 2008

It begins with energy.

We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries made in Korea.

Well, I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders, and I know you don’t, either. It is time for America to lead again.

(APPLAUSE)

Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We’ve also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history, an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, in science and technology.

We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.

OBAMA: But to truly transform our economy, to protect our security and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy.

So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. That’s what we need.

(APPLAUSE)

And to support — to support that innovation, we will invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power (OTCBB:SOPW) , advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.

(APPLAUSE)

Speaking of our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not and will not protect them from their own bad practices.

But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it; scores of communities depend on it; and I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, none of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what’s necessary to move this country forward.

A highly encouraging email hit my desk from Moveon.org asking their membership to vote on whether they were willing to back and participate in a Green Collar Economy political movement, started with this statement:

When FDR became president, a group of progressive activists asked him to push for some really big changes. His response? “I agree with you. I want to do it. Now make me do it.“ :

That is music to our ears at Green Collar Media.  To make the Green Collar Economy a reality, we need to move on all fronts.  A grassroots movement of millions of Americans organizing to ensure their message is heard is going to be critical.  Unless the administration and congresspeople know that the American people have their backs, we are going to witness false start after misstep as the entrenched interests fight for the status quo and pull the levers of power in Washington and in state houses around the country.

I am not sure how this movement will be organized or whether it will make any significant progress, and you may not agree with Moveon on most (or any) issues.  I hope you will agree that the American people standing up and demanding that the government move us in the direction of a green future is in all of our best interests.

As the details of the stimulus package come to light, the New York Times claims that there is about $80 Billion in:

spending, loan guarantees and tax incentives aimed at promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, higher-mileage cars and coal that is truly clean. As a stand-alone measure, these investments would amount to the biggest energy bill in history.

Not too shabby, but the point that they make and that Green Collar Media definitely agrees with is that while this is the type of investment that is critical to jumstart job creation in the green collar economy, these measures should not be confused with an energy plan that will get us where we need to go.

In addition to this spending and incentivizing, the government will need to open up the arsenal of tools at its disposal, including a carbon cap & trade, new green building standards, tax incentives to stimulate green investment, increased mileage and emission standards for vehicles, firm and consistent subsidies for alternative energy production, as well as about 1000 other things that can be done to send clear price signals to the markets. Our belief is that the first substantive legislation addressing all of these issues will be implemented prior to the end of the Obama administration’s first term. If we’re right, hold onto your hats, because the pace of innovation and change is going to blow us all away.

Keep it tuned here as more green details from the stimulus package are clarified. I feel a lot better about burdening my children with this debt knowing that a big portion of that investment will go to getting us on the road to a green future.