Friday Quote: Obama on climate change

Obama’s State Of The Union speech fell flat, avoiding even a mention of climate change while calling for the doubling of clean energy in America. Instead he said we need to “win the future,” which sounds like the next Matrix sequel that only exists in my mind. It was disappointing amidst the attacks on science and at a time of hellacious global weather conditions. But this speech is a start – however, he needs to do more than mention climate change in passing when explaining his energy policy before a room full of supportive college students:

Right here at Penn State, a university whose motto is “Making Life Better,” you’ve answered the call. Today, you’re preparing to lead the way on a hub that will make America home to the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. Now, that may not sound too sexy, “energy-efficient buildings.” But listen. Our homes and our businesses consume 40 percent of the energy we use. Think about that. Everybody focuses on cars and gas prices, and that’s understandable. But our homes and our businesses use 40 percent of the energy. They contribute to 40 percent of the carbon pollution that we produce and that is contributing to climate change. It costs us billions of dollars in energy bills. They waste huge amounts of energy.

The good news is we can change all that. Making our buildings more energy-efficient is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money, combat pollution, and create jobs right here in the United States of America. And that’s what we’re going to do.