Obama: It's Not About the "F***ing" Light Bulbs!
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 11. 9.08
Photo: Getty
Now that the election is over, some illuminating campaign trail gems are sneaking out. Apparently, Sarah Palin's clothing spending spree was much worse than first thought, John McCain's senior advisors privately knew he was finished by the third debate, and both campaigns were attacked by hackers.
Oh, and Obama is sick and tired of having to save the planet by switching to energy-efficient bulbs. During the primaries, Newsweek overheard a very unscripted Obama talking about the debates:
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'.
It's not the cool-headed, feel-good, yes-we-can Obama poetry that coursed through the campaign; it reminds me more of the inspirational but cautious words the President-elect used on election night.
Or maybe, just maybe, it's the yet-to-be-seen mad-as-hell-about-climate-change-and-I'm-not-gonna-take-it-anymore Obama. And, after eight years of stonewalling sound climate policy as the earth grows warmer (not to mention the giant mess he's inherited) we couldn't fault Obama for losing his cool.
So what exactly does Obama mean by "collective"? (It's easy to imagine the GOP taking Obama to task for that word choice.)
Obama is already sending envoys to climate talks in Poland, contemplating more sustainable energy and emissions strategies and thinking about climate policies in tandem with the rest of the world. At a conference on climate change and security the day after the election, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Obama was "fully aware" of America's responsibility. He went on -- without mentioning light bulbs: "Climate change is a challenge that we’ll rise to meet collectively or we will fail collectively."
We're pretty sure Obama's not against green choices in his or anyone's personal life, including compact florescent bulbs, which have been in use at the White House since Clinton, and will be the standard by the time incandescent bulbs are outlawed in 2012. (Though we do wonder how scandalized Capitol Hill efficiency maven Allison Rogers would be by Obama's remark, or at least his use of the f-word.)
Just in case anyone thought the country's political beacon might be a supporter of the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, or hated trees, or wanted to stop those damn enviromaniacs here's what he did tell Brian Williams about his personal climate change initiatives:
Williams: … what in your personal life, Senator Obama, have you done personally to make for a better environment? Personal life…Obama: Well, you know, we just had Earth Day. And we actually organized 3,000 volunteers to plant trees, which…
Williams: I mean, like light bulbs…
Obama: Well…
(Laughter)
I thought the tree thing was pretty good.
Williams: Well, yes, but…
Obama: We’ve also been working to install lightbulbs that last longer and save energy. And that’s something that I’m trying to teach my daughters, 8-year-old Malia and 5-year-old Sasha.
Also on TreeHugger:
Compact Florescent Light Bulbs (CFLs):
Only in America: The "Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act"
CFL Bulbs or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Energy Savings, Mercury, Recycling and More
Obama on Climate
Canada, Germany Want to Work With Obama on Climate Change
Obama Says Climate Change Is Real, Will Hire Gore
Barack Obama Faces Environmental Clean Up After Two Centuries of Bingeing: Bill McKibben
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anger is passion
and i love it
So Obama is human after all, he can get testy. I imagine that anyone taking questions from journalists has to bite thier tongue once in awhile. There really is such a thing as a dumb question. DB
that quote made me arroused.
What? President Elect Obama gets frustrated with the overwhelmingly stupid line of questioning that he has received about every issue during the presidential campaign? He actually has a brain? Huh? No way! Slanderous!!!
Him getting angry at such dumb questions is excellent. I can't wait until he is my president! :-D From the context of his anger, it sounds like he actually cares about the environment and wants REAL change, none of this consumerist "I changed the light bulbs and bought a Prius, I've done my part" crap. Go Obama!
Well Nikita - I hope you noted the
"Climate change is a challenge that we’ll rise to meet collectively or we will fail collectively."
How he will get China and India to reign in their collective pollution will be interesting - to say the least.
I'm almost afraid to say the - collective - phrase has some serious baggage here in the US - you know the whole "peasants on collective farms" starving to death thing.
The times ahead will be interesting, to say the least.
Such a great quote by Obama. I just love this new president..
"How he will get China and India to reign in their collective pollution will be interesting - to say the least."
Don, don't buy products from said countries. Vote with your dollars, euros, etc. Try to ensure that you are buying products from companies that care.
I think the tree thing is pretty good, too.
I also love that he uses the f-word. Seriously.
Sign Kyoto - make it your mantra - pass it along
Totally preaching to the converted, but:
I think the "collective" action has to start with the United States and lowering our overall consumption (and ensuing waste) of everything. Cap and trade might sound pretty and all, but the excuses from China and India all start with "Why should we, when you (insert wasteful, offensive consumption, etc. example here)?"
Speaking of the converted and preaching -- perhaps he's thinking of using us to get as serious a collective effort going for the environment as he managed to get for his campaign. Just so long as I don't have to call Pennsylvania voters for a while, I'm in. I assume we all are...
I am SO looking forward to be addressed by a president who has wit and speaks English, by the way, nevermind possibly being inspired and moved to act.
"I thought the tree thing was pretty good." I do too:)
@ yazheirx
hey man back off from India and China.. the US is just as bad at polluting the environment. so's the middle east and half the rest of the developed/ developing world...
The american govt. did wind up sucking corporate butt and kill the EV1 and electric car all cos oil companies wanted more profit... watch the documentary "who killed the electric car" then yap about not buying products from India and China.
let's not forget what a great job the Americans did blowing up 2 countries to shit. they dint use fairy dust did they? all that smoke and resulting pollution was pretty bad.. plus it's no secret why Bush stuck his collective American military nose up Iraq's rear..
And read the news... India is signing a deal with the US to build more nuclear power plants. India has a Green building rating system that rivals USGBC's LEED in it's green criteria. It is a wind superpower. generates 44MW in solar energy and an equal amount for solar water heaters. plus we are expanding the wind farms.. and the overall implementation of renewable resources.
China is going to install efficient thermal plants that are far better than the previous ones, and eventually phase out coal plants.
the same to Don
b4 you ask, I'm Indian thank you
@ yazheirx and don
hey man back off from India and China.. the US is just as bad at polluting the environment. so's the middle east and half the rest of the developed/ developing world...
The american govt. did wind up sucking corporate butt and kill the EV1 and electric car all cos oil companies wanted more profit... watch the documentary "who killed the electric car" then yap about not buying products from India and China.
let's not forget what a great job the Americans did blowing up 2 countries to shit. they dint use fairy dust did they? all that smoke and resulting pollution was pretty bad.. plus it's no secret why Bush stuck his collective American military nose up Iraq's rear..
And read the news... India is signing a deal with the US to build more nuclear power plants. India has a Green building rating system that rivals USGBC's LEED in it's green criteria. It is a wind superpower. generates 44MW in solar energy and an equal amount for solar water heaters. plus we are expanding the wind farms.. and the overall implementation of renewable resources.
China is going to install efficient thermal plants that are far better than the previous ones, and eventually phase out coal plants.
not to mention, America would come to a screeching halt if americans stopped trading with China and India because we could effectively shut down a good part of your services from all the way here. most of american industry is here and all that, cheap labor, customer service calls being transferred to India etc...
so think b4 you effectively suggest that people place an embargo on other countries
b4 you ask, I'm Indian thank you
I really enjoyed this post. Passion and anger can do a lot of great things in the right hands. Thanks. :)
President-Elect Obama has spoken a million words in his campaign, echoed by millions of followers all in public, and you dwell on this?