Obama's Inaugural Speech: Let's Roll

As I reflect on Inauguration Day 2009, a day filled with great promise, I keep thinking about an editorial I came across a few days ago. It was written by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times.

Here's a selection from it-- that I edited slightly:

The most obvious national project that President [Obama] could launch now-- his version of the race to the moon-- would be a program for energy independence, based on developing renewable energy sources, domestic production and energy efficiency. Not only would every school kid in America be excited by such a project, but it would be [Obama]'s equivalent of Richard Nixon going to China...

The only difference is that in the original version the president was not Obama; it was Bush. And it wasn't written this week; it was written in January 2002. The title of the editorial is "Let's Roll," the rallying cry from Flight 93 during 9/11, which went on to be the nation's call to action in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Not only does this editorial demonstrate Friedman's amazing foresight, but it also reinforces how much time we've squandered waiting to fulfill-- or even make significant progress on-- energy independence.

Presidents at least since Richard Nixon have been calling for energy independence, but this call has gained renewed urgency. Not only do we need to end our addiction to oil to free ourselves from counting on countries that don't have our best interest in mind, but the economy is in shambles and the climate crisis threatens our land, water and air. We can no longer separate a transition to clean energy from our economic recovery. By moving to clean energy-- like wind, air and geothermal-- we can create millions of new jobs immediately and enhance our economic stability over the long term.

So, turning to Obama's inaugural speech (which I found to be thoughtful and moving, if not quite soaring), I'd say that the early signs are that we may begin to see real progress on this pressing issue.

Here are a few selections from the President's speech [Bold added]:

• "Each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."
• "The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together .... We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."
• "With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet."

It's clear that Obama gets it. He understands that we need an immediate investment in renewable energy sources and a national commitment to greater energy efficiency. While the challenges that Mr. Obama and our country face are great, we cannot wait another seven years to get started. We need to start today.

Again, in the new President's own words:

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."