With Podesta Running Obama’s Transition, Energy Clearly Tops
John Podesta is no stranger to politics. He was the Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2001 and he’s held countless positions as advisers to various other politicians. He’s also currently the President and CEO of the D.C. think tank, the Center for American Progress, which, just over a month ago, published the report “Green Recovery: A New Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy.“
It’s no coincidence, then, that Barack Obama has already tapped Podesta as the leader of his transition team to get a head start on getting this country back on track. And with Podesta’s appointment, it should be blaringly apparent that a Green Recovery — a Green Deal, if you will — is going to be the keystone of Obama’s plan.
In fact, Obama has already stated this in countless speeches, but his appointment of Podesta backs up his words with substance.
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What does this mean for the future of transportation?
As my fellow gas 2.0 writer, Adam Shake, just pointed out today, back in March Obama clearly indicated that he thinks corn ethanol is a stop-gap — a “non-optimal” source of biofuel that serves as a way to transition into second generation biofuels such as “celluline.”
So, we’ll likely see heavy investment in second generation biofuels with a focus on transitioning away from corn-based ethanol. It also means we’ll likely see tax credits for biofuels and biofuel-powered vehicles.
In addition, according to the Center for American Progress’ Green Recovery report, developing a smart energy grid is laid out as one of the cornerstones of bringing our infrastructure into the 21st century. This has implications for fully electric cars, hybrid-electrics, plug-in hybrid electrics, and the funding of research into new battery technologies and other energy storage mediums.
And last, but not least, we’re sure to see our decrepit and embarrassing mass transit and freight rail system get a complete overhaul. As another of the cornerstones laid out in the Green Recovery report, this is absolutely necessary to be able to compete in the world of the future — not to mention that there are millions of Americans who would gladly replace their daily car commute with some peaceful time on a high speed commuter train surfing the internet listening to music.
On a personal note, Obama’s presidency surely means that this blog and all other green energy blogs out there have, overnight, become all that much more relevant. I truly hope that you continue to return here for your future transportation fix as we move into what I think will become one of the most transformational periods of US history.
And I wouldn’t mind if you subscribed to our RSS feed either.
Image Credit: mudpig’s Flickr photostream under a Creative Commons License
With any luck Americans will break away from benzine molecule poisoning, or as you have been coerced to say,”Breast Cancer”.A new world is dawning for womankind. Solar and Wind power combined with sensible dwelling designs that incorporate solar and ground heat with super-insulation technologies will reduce coal and oil consumption. Non-toxic bio-diesel may be foreshadowed by Compressed natural Gas assisted plug-in electric cars, and ultralight carbon fiber and polymer composite car bodies will dominate and originate from Toyota and Honda, not our constipated domestic car companies, who have already lost out to the Prius from Toyota, and prefer mergers to product development for profit. The paradigm shift this great depression we are entering has changed the basic fabric of American society, we now have a black president, and this is the threshold of a new American Era! A rebirth of world politics and a new world order!
To Uncle B,
What a bunch of rhetoric. A rebirth? Please! I am happy to see that it appears that Obama may actually follow through with his promises to help prevent an energy crisis, but to use the term great depression is disgusting. Yes our economy is weaker than it has been in years, but to compare it to what people went through in the 30’s is irresponsible and ignorant. Until people in this country can quit fixating on the color of someones skin and realize that intelligence and desire to make the world a better place are the only ways to truly measure a person, we are doomed to stay in this same stagnant system.
> “…not our constipated domestic car companies…”
Uh, hello, Chevy Volt anyone? …and Saturn has been using polymer composites since the 90’s for their body panels. Sorry, but it’s a big sore spot with me when angry liberals bad mouth American car companies for not being able to compete when it is a liberal construct (unions) that is the largest contributor to their difficulty in competing.
They bad mouth Wal-Mart for “union busting” and for paying low wages with little or no benefits, but then buy foreign cars and bad mouth American car companies who have strong unions and pay fantastic wages/benefits.
The big problem with Obama and his plans is that he is a control freak who believes that tax increases to provide WELFARE payments called “Refundable Tax Credits” will somehow create jobs, despite the overwhelming indicators of history that removing money from the economy by any means, taxation or inflation is counter productive to growth of the economy.
The imposition of Government, read Obama here, control by subsidy will have the effect of limiting research and especially entry into the business of producing the alternative fuels. And it is fuels, liquid or compressed or liquefied gasses that we need for long distance travel. Biodiesel can provide this capability without a change in our distribution system. The only change needed is to replace the gasoline engines in automobiles with the more efficient diesel engines available.
Electricity simply won’t provide the range nor the quick refueling needed for long trips. There is no economically viable battery technology available in the foreseeable future that could do the job. Battery power is viable for short range vehicles now, although still expensive.
We definitely need alternative electricity production, which is what Wind, Wave, Solar, and Nuclear are actually producing. Nuclear power is SAFE. we have been using it for over 50 years in aircraft carriers and submarines without any major incidents that could be attributed to the nuclear power source. Some of our forward military bases are powered by small nuclear reactors, possibly a development of those used in submarines.
We can solve the water use of alternative fuel development by desalinization of sea water. We have provided desalinization plants to some foreign governments, even ones that don’t like us very much. Why are we not using this technology in California to allow the Colorado river water to be used inland, rather than in southern California.
Tim, You did not go back far enough in history.
Ford used plastics made from soy beans before WWII. My 1940 Studebaker Champion was equipped with a “hill holder” that Subaru, I believe, now brags about to keep your manual transmission car from rolling backward at a traffic light while you are using one foot on the gas and the other on the clutch.
Active roll stability control was introduced by Mr. Arthur Vogel, of Columbus, Ohio, at Lockbourne AFB in 1954. It worked very well, but the problem was that then a $500 option on a $1200 car wasn’t likely to sell well.
The problem with our car companies isn’t that they don’t know how to do things, but that they either don’t believe we will buy them or the great cars that they have build and do sell in Europe are kept from our shores by the disparity between European and U.S. vehicle safety regulations and the refusal of U.S. liberals to accept proven ideas from others.
President-elect Obama believes in the non-traditional approach to achieve the “change we need”. So rather than Gore, Schwarzenegger or the other Gov’s, here’s an unlikely, but very appropriate non-traditional approach for Energy Secretary under President Obama: Andrew Liveris, current CEO of the Dow Chemical Company. He’s been out preaching abut the need for a truly comprehensive energy policy in the U.S. for a long while now, most recently at the coveted podium of the Detroit Economic Club. Every time he speaks, he’s told he should be running for public office. Given his company is hugely connected to the energy sector and he is vastly knowledgeable of all things energy on a global basis, this non-traditional choice makes a lot of sense.
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This is good news, and I hope Obama follows some of amorris19’s advice - if he keeps an open ear, a cool head, and takes on some Big Business advisors, I think he’ll more than live up to the hope/hype.