RENEWABLOG

Renewable Energy Gets Oval Office Stamp of Approval

President Obama, facing intense criticism over his handling of the Gulf Coast spill, resorted on Tuesday to an Oval Office address to the American people. This is a first for Obama, who has delivered momentous and stirring speeches about new initiatives and national security in the Rose Garden and other locales that tend to symbolize "the nation," but who had never, until now, used the power and symbolism of the Office as a backdrop. The Oval Office, compared to other frequent national PR and media announcement venues, projects a very specific, intimate image--that of the President as Commander in Chief, solemn, perhaps sorrowful, but ultimately inspirational--and forges a much more personal connection between the President and his country.  As NPR's Liz Halloran pointed out on June 14's broadcast of Morning Edition:

"The President, in choosing the Oval Office as a setting for his televised speech, has given the oil spill the imprimatur of a serious crisis. Presidents in the past have used the setting to, for example, announce war, respond to national tragedies like the attacks of Sept. 11, and, in the case of Richard Nixon, to resign."

It is encouraging to note that, although the motivation for staging of this particular address may have been an effort at damage control, Obama nevertheless used this opportunity to issue a clarion call for a clean energy revolution. He spoke of the oil spill, the environmental and economic hardship it has created for Gulf Coast residents, flora and fauna, and he vowed to hold BP financially accountable. Using militaristic language and calling the spill an "epidemic," Obama labeled the spill "the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced." But he went beyond mere posturing and finger-pointing when he double-negatively proclaimed, "We can't afford NOT to change how we produce and use energy." He candidly acknowledged that there will be financial burdens associated with the transition to a clean energy economy, but noted that the long-term costs to the United States' security and environment are untenable.

I'm generally skeptical of political posturing, particularly when it's set against a backdrop involving an American flag, but when the President of the United States makes a clear, compelling case for increased investment in and focus on renewable energy and energy legislation, it's hard to hold a little bit of PR scenery against him.

Posted by Alison Mickey on June 17, 2010 at 1:08 PM