Obama Gets It: Changing Light Bulbs Alone Will Not Stop Global Warming

Posted on 06. Nov, 2008 by Timothy B. Hurst in climate change, energy, politics

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Newsweek has published a multi-part project called Secrets of the 2008 Campaign, where some very interesting behind the scenes tidbits are being made public. One particular comment about global warming  from Barack Obama caught my eye, because it showed me that he not only gets it (which I already knew), but that he is human. When he was preparing a televised debate during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying:

“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’.”

I couldn’t agree more. While important, changing your ‘f—ing light bulbs’ to the more energy efficient compact fluorescent ones is not going to solve global warming/climate change. Personal choice is part of what got us into this problem and collective action is what has to get us out.

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7 Responses to “Obama Gets It: Changing Light Bulbs Alone Will Not Stop Global Warming”

  1. Tim Coyne

    08. Nov, 2008

    Great stuff Tim!

    I often felt this way during some of the debates. Like when Jim Lehrer was acting like a junior-high instigator.

    “Come on. Tell him. Tell him to his face. Tell him to his face what you think about him. Come on.”

    I hope Obama really commits to the environmental issue. I think he will.

  2. Timothy B. Hurst

    09. Nov, 2008

    It was almost painful at times, wasn’t it? If Obama et al., can successfully link clean energy and the environment to the core imperative of the state (economic development and security) we may see some real transformation.

  3. Lishster22

    10. Nov, 2008

    It’s nice to hear an example that Obama gets it… the way his environmental platform got watered down during the campaign I wasn’t sure.

  4. Max Gladwell

    12. Nov, 2008

    I read that quote in the Newsweek piece and have quoted it extensively already. It does really demonstrate that Obama gets it. Back in f—ing July, we wrote that greens tend to be penny wise and pound foolish: http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/07/are-greens-penny-wise-and-pound-foolish/

    “We’re sorry to break the news, but small changes add up to nothing more than making us all feel a little better about ourselves. We’re just shuffling chairs on the deck of the Titanic.”

    Another great example of why Obama is candidate of f—ing change.

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