Earlier this month, President Barack Obama ordered our Government to lead by example on climate change matters, to cut consumption of fuel and improve water use efficiency. I think this is a first, however, those of you who know otherwise are welcome to comment and give examples. But I think this is a much needed push on the part of our President in bringing conservation back into the mindset of America. We call ourselves conservatives and then we consume and trash like drunken sailors. It’s time to walk the walk.

In his demand, he wanted federal departments to cut their fuel consumption by 30% and to improve their water use efficiency by 26%. This appears to be an immediate goal with a 90 day limit for the development of an overall plan for long term targets. In fact, he requires all federal agencies to set firm 2020 targets to cut their greenhouse gas emissions within that 90 day window. As much as you hear the pigs squealing, this is very liberal and tolerant and allows them to squirm off with their usual wheeling and dealing and I am not sure it will make a whit of difference. It seems all that many Americans care about is who is sleeping with whom but damn if they care if the baby goes out with the bathwater. I apologize but a lot of people piss me off. Barack Obama pisses me off. The time has long passed for people to wake up and smell the coffee and still they keep dreaming. Who out there smells it? The world is on fire, fools.

I have tried to keep the seed neutral and not get too carried away with my personal opinions but this whole mess with the climate bill fiasco and the echo chamber I keep hearing from the opposition has just gotten me so darned mad. I cannot help but toss in a few snarks here and there. In his much publicized demands, Obama also told agencies to increase energy efficiency, cut gasoline consumption by official vehicles and to save water and reduce waste, important moves which he said would save money and help clean up the environment. The key element of this, even for those of you who think climate change is hooey, is the word “save money”. All you so called “conservatives” need to get your head out of other people’s smut and pay attention to what’s disappearing around us. You think the things you need will be here the entire time you’re alive, and then it doesn’t matter? Well, the butterflies didn’t and it looks like the bees won’t make it either, so, hey, I hope you don’t have a thing for honey or flowers. Might make things uncomfortable in a few years.

Ok, so let’s say you don’t give a shit about butterflies or bees and you think that they’ll start cloning cows so you can eat all the meat you can shove down your double chin until you die of your heart attack. What will you do when you can’t afford to buy that cow, cloned or not? What if the only people getting fat are the Chinese and the French? Will you be happy watching corporate executives and politicians wear dead foxes and drive gas guzzling Hummers while you watch it all out of the dirty window in the local homeless shelter? Will that make you feel good about using and abusing, all in fun? Who do you think wins in this sort of game?

Ok, I realize I got way off track with my rant and should be talking about the President’s orders but none of it ever seems good enough to me and I just get sick about it. To his credit, the president earlier signed an executive order containing the new standards to be adopted as part of the administration’s wider attempt to build a clean energy economy. Under the new rules, agencies must meet a string of targets for energy efficiency and waste reduction. In fact, it states that, by 2020, federal departments must cut the consumption of fuel by their official fleets by 30 percent and show a 26 percent improvement in water use efficiency. And then, it advances further to say that, by 2015, agencies must recycle 50 percent of waste, or divert it away from landfill projects. This is all in the executive order. It may be small bananas but at least it’s some bananas, after all. And, to top it off with some fudge sauce, the order also states that all US government buildings will have to meet new emissions and sustainability standards during the same time frame. This is sweet but it won’t replace the honey when the bees are totally dead.

To his credit, Obama has argued that cutting greenhouse gas emissions & building a sustainable green economy is vital not just to the planet, but to the economy. I have done my own research on these types of projects (and, no, not just reading pulp the administration dishes out, but actually crunching some numbers I got from the industries) and I think he’s right. He did include many incentives for governments and private firms to build a green economy right in that big fat stimulus bill that essentially has most of us groaning. I am not a fan of big spending or big government; in fact, most of my life I have been a Libertarian… but lately, this whole thing is too huge to let lie. Government has to fix it. They are the reason this mess happened and it can’t be fixed any other way. The idea that the miserable slaves common in the American workforce are going to work magic and come up with great new ideas that will save everybody is nutso. Not without bank financing. Not without money. No way. And the only place we can all get money, for sure, no matter what, is the Fed. Get the money presses running!

Back to the subject of conservation, at least this administration and Obama, himself, have reversed the previous skepticism on climate change shown by the administration of George W. Bush and has vowed to push for a global climate deal at major UN talks in Denmark later this December. However, it is acknowledged that he still faces major domestic political constraints, not least of all the fears that tackling climate change will hinder economic recovery. How that can be is a puzzle to me but a bunch of folk don’t have imagination and believe that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Right now, though, folks, there ain’t one in the hand so get over it.

You can make a difference in this issue, one way or the other, by letting our President know how you feel. Do so by submitting a comment HERE today. He knows how I feel, make sure he hears you, too.

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