Obama should make the 'Big Green Buy' (but it would require leadership)

Is there any reason he shouldn't do this? And was there a good reason for not doing this during his first two years in office?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/28/105688/commentary-obama-should-make-the.html

Commentary: Obama should make the 'Big Green Buy'
By Mark Hertsgaard and Christian Parenti | Los Angeles Times

<edit>

Luckily, that's not true. President Barack Obama has the power to unleash dramatic emissions reductions without congressional approval. And in the course of doing so, the president can bring jobs and profits to communities across the nation, even in places represented by climate change deniers such as Sen.-elect Roy Blunt of Missouri.

How? By mobilizing the government's vast purchasing power to kick-start a green energy revolution. Federal spending is responsible for roughly 25 percent of the gross national product, giving Washington enormous power to influence marketplace behavior even if annual spending levels are trimmed.

The federal government is the world's largest consumer of energy and vehicles. If the Pentagon, the Postal Service and other agencies shifted their buying wherever possible from dirty technologies to clean ones, it would give manufacturers such as Smith Electric Vehicles, headquartered in Blunt's state, a huge influx of orders. These orders would yield economies of scale that would enable green manufacturers to substantially reduce prices.

<edit>

We know this approach works because it fostered the greatest economic success story in recent American history. Most Americans own computers today because the government not only funded the research and development of microprocessors (as part of the space race) but also became the first large-scale purchaser of the devices. Sustained orders from the Pentagon and NASA helped manufacturers attain economies of scale and reduce prices so consumers eventually could afford their own computers.

A similar green-tech revolution is ours for the taking - if Obama shows the requisite leadership, including the courage to affirm that some forms of government spending are actually good for the economy.

more...

keith stone 2012

And we all know the rich get everything they want

But we do have promises.

Are they against green energy?

Against the government promoting it?

Or just against any story that exposes Obama's inaction?

Tesha

me the most about his policy proposals, and it's really been a huge disappointment so far.

Sure, most buyers are well enough intentioned, but they'll not get an improved environment by shopping. As long as we have a profit based economic system the environment cannot help but deteriorate.