Americans, Bush, and Obama on Green Topics

As a follow up to our post about the Sustainable Brands convention, today we have the results of a related survey that shows, amongst other things, that 75% of Americans are currently more concerned with economical issues than environmental issues (and rightfully so). It shows that consumers are only prioritizing for green products when all else is equal, and that makes it harder to sell a green product in current financial setting. Of the results, Annie Longsworth, president of the firm that carried out the survey, had this to say: “It will take a unified effort, and excellent communication, among government, corporations, NGOs and consumers to ensure environmental concerns remain at the top of the agenda.”

While it certainly isn’t hard to agree with those sentiments (or one may think), somewhere in Washington, George W. Bush announced he will veto the U.S. climate change bill – before debate on the topic even began. His main concern is the same as respondents to the survey: economy over environment. But his stance is incredibly hypocritical when you realize the Bush administration has already spent over $500 billion on the war that was supposed to cost $100 billion. Granted, Bush estimates the bill would cost the American economy $6 trillion, but that figure is vehemently denied by environmentalists and supporters. 

And one of those supporters is undoubtedly Barack Obama, who, after his big “presumptive” win yesterday, had this to say: 

“If we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth.”

and he continued,

“[Americans need] us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future –- an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced. That’s the change we need.”

Now that the primaries are finally done, according to Stephen Colbert, pundits can no longer “ignore earthquakes and floods and torture and focus on important stuff like flag pins and $400 haircuts”. If Barack Obama’s presumptive acceptance speech is any indication, the environment will be a very important topic in the upcoming presidential debates, and may help create a new spark of awareness to the next political generation.
Photo credit