President Barack Obama promised continued investment in alternative energy “to strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.” In his Jan. 25 State of the Union address, he said that his administration is “telling America’s scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we’ll fund the Apollo projects of our time.” The funding source would come from the billions of dollars in subsidies now given to oil companies. “So, instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s,” Obama said. The President also called for 80 percent of the nation’s power to come from “clean energy” sources by 2035. Included in that are not only wind, solar, and other renewable resources, but also nuclear power and “clean” coal and natural gas. Another of the administration’s targets is to deploy a million electric vehicles by 2015 and create a surge in biofuels to fuel cars. Obama did not mention climate change. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change welcomed Obama’s call for a vast expansion of less polluting fuel sources. “[C]apitalizing on today’s clean energy opportunities will propel American job growth and help ensure that the United States has the most competitive and innovative economy in the world,” Eileen Claussen, Pew director, stated. Elsewhere, Obama was criticized for his willingness to include coal and nuclear power in the 80 percent “clean energy” target. In a press conference organized by Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Institute for Energy and Environmental research Dr. Alan Lockwood, past president of the physicians group, said that even if carbon dioxide emitted from coal power plants is sequestered, major environmental problems would remain unsolved. “Coal is dirty at every step,” he said, noting that mountain top removal mining, water pollution, and coal ash disposal problems would remain. Arjun Makhijani, president of the institute, said that while nuclear plants emit little air pollution, their waste remains a long-term problem. “We’re really enjoying the benefits and dumping the costs on our kids,” he remarked about the idea that nuclear power is a clean source of energy.
