The push for a more sustainable America gained more momentum today as President Obama announced plans to lease federal waters to be used to produce energy through wind and currents. I was lucky enough to be at the first middle class task force meeting a few months ago where the focus was on energy independence and green jobs. It has been clear from the start that Obama’s campaign promise of an era of responsibility does not apply just to freeing Washington from the hands of lobbyists but to creating a sustainable country.  The new initiative announced today is just the beginning of the president’s call for “a comprehensive energy plan that encourages the development of alternative fuel sources, cuts dependence on foreign oil, addresses climate change, and creates new jobs”. President Obama has brought attention to an issue that has been ignored or discounted by critics who believe that the US will have to decide between the environment and the economy. Through the stimulus bill and Obama’s latest initiative, energy independence and environmental conservation, the president has made it clear that the country does not need to choose.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/22/obama.energy/index.html