The first attempt to turn the White House into a green house occurred in the 1970′s when President Jimmy Carter installed a solar energy water-heating system. The system cost $30,000 to install and only saved $1,000 a year. That was obviously a failure.

Twenty-three years later in 1993 Bill Clinton successfully saved more than $1.4 million in six years thanks to his “greening the White House” project. Now it’s Barack Obama’s turn to show America that anyone can turn their home into a green home.

The first attempt to turn the White House into a green house occurred in the 1970′s when President Jimmy Carter installed a solar energy water-heating system. The system cost $30,000 to install and only saved $1,000 a year. That was obviously a failure.

Twenty-three years later in 1993 Bill Clinton successfully saved more than $1.4 million in six years thanks to his “greening the White House” project. Now it’s Barack Obama’s turn to show America that anyone can turn their home into a green home.

Lead by Example

From the moment that Obama took office he wanted to create a plan that would reduce the carbon footprint of the 132-room White House mansion. He basically wanted to show the American people that if he cares enough to do it, so should they.

So, what two major changes have the Obama’s already made to turn their home into a green house?

• Michelle Obama planted an organic and herb vegetable garden in the South Lawn (you can read more here)
• They built an eco-friendly wooden swing set with recycled rubber tire cushioning

There are still many other plans to turn the White House into a green house, such as using green and natural cleaning products and promoting recycling, but Obama won’t give any specific details yet.

That’s okay because it’s good to know that the President is going green and proving to be a positive example for the green movement.

Source: MSNBC

Since its creation in 1999, the G-20 (the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) has helped to strengthen the economic stability of nations around the world.

This week on April 2, the summit will not only tackle the financial crisis, but it will also try to develop a stimulus plan to tackle global climate change.

Since its creation in 1999, the G-20 (the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) has helped to strengthen the economic stability of nations around the world.

This week on April 2, the summit will not only tackle the financial crisis, but it will also try to develop a stimulus plan to tackle global climate change.

This week’s meeting

One of the hopes of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the summit is to deal directly with the threat of climate change, which has become a huge factor in the economic downfall of many countries. Due to climate change, some countries have been unable to produce crops, they don’t have access to clean drinking water and homes have been destroyed.

This week’s G-20 meeting all comes before a new climate treaty that hopes to be signed in Copenhagen next week. This treaty hopes to create a $2-3 trillion global stimulus on green causes, such as building wind energy farms that will create new jobs and focus more on green energy.

So, how else would bringing up the topic of global climate change positively affect the economy? Governments could benefit from investing in green bonds that are invested in clean energy.

What do you think about a global climate change stimulus? After spending trillions to bail out banks, some countries may need more than just some convincing.

Source: Reuters

Tomorrow is the BIG day: Barack Obama will be officially sworn in as the forty-fourth president of the United States! This inauguration will be historical for two very big reasons:

• Obama will be the first African American President in U.S. history
• The ‘New Energy for America Plan’ will soon go into effect

If you don’t know what the ‘New Energy for American Plan’ is then you can check out our Green Politics blog post…

Tomorrow is the BIG day: Barack Obama will be officially sworn in as the forty-fourth president of the United States! This inauguration will be historical for two very big reasons:

• Obama will be the first African American President in U.S. history
• The ‘New Energy for America Plan’ will soon go into effect

If you don’t know what the ‘New Energy for American Plan’ is then you can check out our Green Politics blog post with highlights of its alternative energy initiatives.

More Clean Energy Initiatives

One of the biggest goals of the New Energy for America Plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by the year 2050. Obama, along with his Vice-President Joe Biden and their ‘green team,’ plan to implement a cap-and-trade program that will not only reduce emissions, but also provide great incentives for U.S. companies.

Under this plan:

• Companies that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide will receive/buy carbon credits that will give them the right to produce these emissions
• Companies that release less carbon dioxide can make a profit by selling excess credits

These alternative energy initiatives, as well as the 5 million new jobs related to clean energy investing that will be created, are just a few of Obama’s green goals that will help reduce the carbon footprint of America.

Will these goals be completed? Only time will tell.

What we can tell is that tomorrow will be a historical day, so don’t forget to watch the inauguration!

Today is election day, so we hope that you took some time to cast your vote for either McCain or Obama.

It’s important to not only vote for a Commander in Chief, but also to vote for someone who will lead us into the future of green energy and environmental reform…

Today is election day, so we hope that you took some time to cast your vote for either McCain or Obama.

It’s important to not only vote for a Commander in Chief, but also to vote for someone who will lead us into the future of green energy and environmental reform.

Take a look once again at both McCain and Obama’s plans for energy and climate change, and you decide who you want to win.

McCain’s Climate Change Initiatives

Obama’s Energy and Climate Change Plan

Remember, every vote does count!

We all know about the Republicans and the Democrats, but did you know that there is also a Green Party of the United States?

Did you know that the Green Party candidates for the 2008 presidential election were Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente?

The Green Party is basically a grassroots organization that does not take corporate donations to help them deal with their most heated issues…

We all know about the Republicans and the Democrats, but did you know that there is also a Green Party of the United States?

Did you know that the Green Party candidates for the 2008 presidential election were Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente?

The Green Party is basically a grassroots organization that does not take corporate donations to help them deal with their most heated issues, which are:

• Universal Healthcare
• Alternative Energy
• Election Reform
• Corporate Globalization
• Living Wages

Formed in 2001 the party is striving hard to gather local delegates in all 51 states.

Ten Key Values

Every political party has traditional values that it extends throughout its campaign, and the Green Party is no different. In fact, the party has ten key values that it firmly follows:

1. Grassroots Democracy
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
3. Ecological Wisdom
4. Non-Violence
5. Decentralization
6. Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice
7. Feminism and Gender Equity
8. Respect for Diversity
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
10. Future Focus and Sustainability

If you’d like to learn more about the specifics of each key value you can check out the Green Party Website.

Even though the Green Party is still not a huge presence in politics today, it continues to work hard to push the importance of environmental reform and equal rights in front of the American people.

In the last post we told you about Obama and Biden’s ‘New Energy for America’ Plan, a plan which hopes to eliminate America’s reliance on foreign oil.

McCain and Palin’s Climate Change Plan also hopes to eliminate our reliance on overseas oil, but it does so in a more step-by-step method…

In the last post we told you about Obama and Biden’s ‘New Energy for America’ Plan, a plan which hopes to eliminate America’s reliance on foreign oil.

McCain and Palin’s Climate Change Plan also hopes to eliminate our reliance on overseas oil, but it does so in a more step-by-step method.

The Five-Principle Plan

The key to dealing with climate change, according to McCain and Palin, is to incorporate market-based solutions with the advancement of greener technology.

The five principles to the plan are:

1. Create a cap-and-trade system policy - This will allow companies to keep the profit from selling extra permits for cash and should reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60% below 1990 levels by 2050.
2. Develop greener technologies ‘ Reform the federal government to allow funding for research into low-carbon technologies, nuclear power, battery development and more.
3. Economic growth ‘ Help low-income families by trading and borrowing permits and establishing a carbon reserve.
4. International efforts - Become a leader in energy production and export to other countries.
5. Climate change adaption plan ‘ Create a comprehensive approach to climate change by using regional and national scientific assessments.

For more detailed information on McCain’s climate change plan you can visit the John McCain official website.

Do you think that these five principles will be enough to save us from reliance on foreign oil? Do you think that McCain is on the right track?

The state of the environment plays a large role in the development of our economy, so remember to think about which candidate has the energy and climate change goals that you support.

In one week people will have the chance to vote for the next President of the United States.

This is a big decision, and whoever is picked ‘ Obama or McCain ‘ will have to do a lot of cleanup, not only for our economy, but also for the environment.

If you care about the environment then it’s important to know both candidates’ views…

In one week people will have the chance to vote for the next President of the United States.

This is a big decision, and whoever is picked ‘ Obama or McCain ‘ will have to do a lot of cleanup, not only for our economy, but also for the environment.

If you care about the environment then it’s important to know both candidates’ views on how they plan to tackle various controversial environmental issues.

This first post will cover Obama and Biden’s ‘New Energy for America’ Plan, which hopes to eliminate America’s reliance on foreign oil. The next post will focus on McCain and Palin’s plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen our economy.

The Perfect Plan?

Obama and Biden’s New Energy Plan has one major goal: to provide relief to families dealing with the current oil crisis, both financially and environmentally.

The candidates believe that this can be done in a 2-part process. And they also believe that the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by the year 2050 will be reached.

So how will this happen? Here are a few highlights of the plan:

Short-Term Solutions

• Oil companies will have to provide an energy rebate worth $500 for an individual and $1,000 for a married couple to help pay for rising prices.
• Enact legislature to bring down oil prices
• Release oil from our current Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) instead of relying on foreign oil.

Mid/Long-Term Solutions

• Auction off 100% of emission credits so polluters have to pay for the right to emit greenhouse gases.
• Make the U.S. a leader in climate change by creating a forum at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)
• Invest $150 billion over 10 years in energy efficiency and biofuel production
• Put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015
• Create 5 million new jobs related to clean energy investing

One of the most interesting aspects of the New Energy Plan is the ‘Green Vet Initiative.’ This will provide green job training and placement for many of the veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, allowing them to contribute to the energy economy of the future.

These are just a few points of the New Energy for America plan to be enacted by Obama and Biden.

You can see the entire plan at the Obama’s Official Website.

So, now that you know Obama’s stance on the environment, does that strengthen or lesson your opinion of him? Were you surprised at anything you read?

Be sure to take this into consideration when you vote next week.

About two weeks ago I signed a petition created by One Vote ’08, a campaign that is striving to make global health and extreme poverty foreign policy priorities in the 2008 presidential election.

The petition was a pledge that the elected President would visit Africa during his or her first term in office to address such issues as AIDS and poverty…

About two weeks ago I signed a petition created by One Vote ’08, a campaign that is striving to make global health and extreme poverty foreign policy priorities in the 2008 presidential election. The petition was a pledge that the elected President would visit Africa during his or her first term in office to address such issues as AIDS and poverty.

The petition received over 100,000 signatures and was delivered to each campaign office in person by ONE members.

Thanks to the relentless dedication of ONE members, all four presidential frontrunners have vowed to visit Africa if elected President.

The Petition

Here is the text for the petition that was signed:

‘As a voter in the 2008 Presidential election, I’m asking you to pledge to visit Africa during your first term in office. It is my hope that your trip will increase U.S.-African cooperation, save lives and help build a better, more secure future for millions of the world’s poorest people.’

If you don’t know about the problems plaguing Africa, you can check out PBS.org’s webpage on Africa, which illustrates its top five health and economic problems through vivid photographs.

The Response

All four front-runner presidential nominees made a solid commitment to visit Africa if they are elected President. Here are snippets of their responses:

Hillary Clinton

‘I look forward to working with the ONE campaign and other organizations when I am President to ensure that addressing the needs of the world’s poorest countries is an essential component of our nation’s foreign policy.”

Barack Obama

‘I will continue to fight for bipartisan renewal and expansion of the global HIV/AIDS relief program, and look forward to visiting Africa during my first term as President of the United States.’

John McCain

‘I will press nations on the critical importance of good governance and economic and legal reform, because no amount of assistance can succeed when governments fail their people.’

Mike Huckabee

‘The ONE Campaign members have been a significant presence throughout this election season and have done a tremendous job of raising awareness of the plight of the poorest people on earth.’

You can read their full statements here.

If you’d like to become a member of the ONE team to help transform the lives of people living in the world’s poorest countries, you can sign up by clicking on the ONE.org banner below:

It’s a great way to stay informed about global poverty and AIDS, as well as to voice your opinion and fight for human rights.