Obama: are you kidding me with the light bulbs?
Adam Stein | November 10, 2008
President-elect to skip cardigan sweater, focus on actual legislation.
Everyone has already linked to this tidbit from Newsweek’s election post-mortem, but so what:
The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, “I don’t consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me…answer it.’ So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that’s green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global warming because I f—-ing changed light bulbs in my house. It’s because of something collective’.”
The quote captures two different kinds of awesome: 1) a smackdown of insipid debate moderators, and 2) a spot-on critique of the trivialization of global warming by a media that would rather focus on politicians’ personal habits.
Now I’ll pass the mic over to Clark Williams-Derry:
Of course, changing light bulbs is a great thing to do at the personal level. By some accounts, lighting accounts for a fifth of all electricity consumption in the US, and the simple step of screwing in a different kind of light bulb can help make a real dent in household consumption.
But to make the profound and fundamental progress we really need, our political discourse has to stop treating energy and climate issues as simply matters of lifestyle choice and personal responsibility. Instead, it has to start treating them as systemic problems with systemic (and largely political) solutions. The boring details of energy efficiency standards, carbon pricing, investments in R&D and renewable power: these are the things that will make or break our energy future.
Image by Flickr user BohPhoto.
This post brings up an internal debate that I have with myself. I'm growing a solar energy business in Chicago so I want to try to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Recycling, energy efficiency, buying products with less or no packaging, eating locally, etc. are all daily considerations for me. At times I don't live up to my own expectations. We have to realize that we live in a community however and that negative actions by the group far outweigh individual altruism. Systemic behaviors need to change to really make an impact on energy dependence and climate change. Al Gore flies in a jet to go to a speaking engagement about climate change. I think the short term pollution is far outweighed by the impact he'll make at the event. His reputation makes a contribution to the climate change cause and far offsets any carbon footprint he may incur. Every little bit helps but these are global issues much bigger than individual countries or people. A person can't get rich if she doesn't watch her pennies but she'll never become rich by just counting pennies alone.
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by Lester Smith on December 26, 2008 8:27 AM
In your Al Gore example, it's not just whether his speaking will have more positive impact than the negative effect of carbon emissions from the jet; I've heard Gore say that when he travels, he counters that effect by making an energy concession elsewhere in his life. In other words, he's always trying to at least balance the equation.
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I agree there are systemic problems that need to be addressed. But I also think that if every individual in the US made some small changes to their daily habits we could save a very significant amount of energy and this should not be trivialized or seen as trivial.
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Sure, Obama changing a light bulb does little to effect the whole, and over consumptions at home wouldn't invalidate his policy. However, it sure is nice to follow someone that leads by example. I'm not asking for perfect consistency, but if you are asking me to sacrifice, we should see some sacrifice. It's a lost art in DC these days, but setting a good example makes more people take you seriously.
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Sometimes the messenger makes all the difference in the world. Here I am thinking about how Dick Cheney was vilified for saying largely the same thing on April 30, 2001. To quote: "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis all by itself for a sound, comprehensive energy policy."
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"However, it sure is nice to follow someone that leads by example. I'm not asking for perfect consistency, but if you are asking me to sacrifice, we should see some sacrifice."
BS. You are responsible for the actions you take. You are not the president. Presidents are responsible for introducing and promoting an agenda that will tackle these problems on a large scale, and that's what should be asked in the debate. That is Obama's (100% correct) point in making this statement.
He's not saying that changing lightbulbs is trivial. He's saying that if you are trying to figure out who to vote for as president, the fact of his changing or not changing lightbulbs is trivial. Please make a note of it.
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"However, it sure is nice to follow someone that leads by example. I'm not asking for perfect consistency, but if you are asking me to sacrifice, we should see some sacrifice."
BS. You are responsible for the actions you take. You are not the president. Presidents are responsible for introducing and promoting an agenda that will tackle these problems on a large scale, and that's what should be asked in the debate. That is Obama's (100% correct) point in making this statement.
He's not saying that changing lightbulbs is trivial. He's saying that if you are trying to figure out who to vote for as president, the fact of his changing or not changing lightbulbs is trivial. Please make a note of it.
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I wonder how many light bulbs in the White House are CFLs?
That would be great "leading by example".
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The problem here is that Obama is supposed to be a leader, but he has not taken any significant personal action. This makes him a a hypocrite, not a visionary.
Leaders draw out actions from the people who follow them, the problem is that Mr. Obama's own campaign was anything but green. Now he is going to use his power as president to mandate the actions that he is not willing to follow himself. That is not leadership; it is eco-tyranny and it will give the green movement a very bad name.
In the end, the environment will suffer as we lose hope in an emperor who wears no clothes.
Most of congress is leaning the same way. I personally contacted the campaign manager or communications director of every democrat in congress to find out if they would go carbon neutral this election season. Nearly every one of them said they were willing to go green, but very few followed through. I talked about this on CNN election morning.
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by Lester Smith on December 26, 2008 8:30 AM
Just curious: Did you target Democrats only, as your post suggests? That sounds like a witch hunt. Or did you contact Republicans too, and what did they say? Or are you discounting the topic of environmental responsibility entirely. I'm somewhat confused by your post.
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Since "leading by example" is a popular mantra here, I offer the oft discussed contrast between GWB's home in Texas versus Al Gore's.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp
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As someone who works in community energy, I second the idea that publicized CFLs in the White House and every other government building in Washington, the use of Priuses, or other high mileage or even fully electric cars, to speed politicians, including the president, across the city to all important energy policy meetings, solar panels on the roof of the White House (alas, Jimmy Carter had this idea 30 years ago), the donning of cardigans to turn down the heat, doing an energy audit and installing more insulation in the White House, and any other president publicized measures to lead by example will show Americans (and the world) that we are on a different, more earth saving, course finally and everyone has a part and should get on board.
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This is quite interesting, Brendan. Do we know the Obama family's personal energy habits? I know they own one SUV, from the multiple houses and cars hoopla during the campaign. If they are energy unaware, or if they are unconcerned about the importance of personal energy use habits, then how do we put pressure on him to lead us in this all-important field? Policy, while important and crucial at this time, does not touch hearts and change people the way a good personal story does. I still remember Carter's cardigan as he talked to us on television, whereas I don't remember much of the policy going on at the time. A TV program, ala the way Jackie Kennedy used to take us on tours of the antiques in the White House, but this one showing us all the energy saving measures enacted, would change hearts and habits.
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As someone who HAS changed their light bulbs (even most of the hard to fit ones) I believe there is leadership and experience to be gained from the example of walking the talk. It usually leads to deeper actions and other progress on the continuum toward environmental sustainability at the local level. If we all do our part in this matter, the global problems will indeed be solved in this way. Obama is in a uniquely qualified position to provide this type of leadership now.
My own situation has progressed to use of a bicycle for my daily commuting (5 miles each way); installation of a large rain barrel to reduce runoff and reuse it in the garden landscape; installation of a solar powered attic vent fan this summer; enhancement of my home's insulation and new low-e windows last year; installation of new high-efficiency toilets at home 3 years ago; installation of a durable, metal heat-reflecting house roof 5 years ago; in addition to the composting and hybrid car driving we've practiced for 8+ years now.
Obama gets it. Last year he traded his gas guzzler for a hybrid SUV and he's long participated in watershed cleanup efforts back home, with his kids. He'll lead by example and by his power of expression and motivation, probably better than any President has in several generations.
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Just as the economy and the environment cannot be separated, the same goes for individual actions and the system.
What would happen to the system if everyone does what I do: I parked the car, got an electric bike and use public transit.?
If Obama had said: "I refuse to use an automobile for my personal mobility....!!!
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by mynalee johnstone on November 19, 2008 2:56 AM
The savings in lives, hospital bills,police surveillance,road repairs,road building, would be enormous.
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