Review of Obama Address to Congress as it relates to smart growth

Obama Address to Congress

Posted by Adam Mizrahi On February - 25 - 2009

Yesterday night President Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress. In it he laid out his hope and vision for the stimulus package and beyond. During his speech he addressed three important issues – energy independence, health care reform, and the promise of education. All three issues are of paramount importance (at least Obama thinks so) to America’s future.

I would like to focus on energy independence for this discussion. Here is what Obama said:

“ Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We’ve also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history — an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine and science and technology.

We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.

But to truly transform our economy, to protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. That’s what we need. And to support — to support that innovation, we will invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.

Speaking of our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of a retooled, reimagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it and I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.”

Although this effort is to be commended, it falls far short of what is actually needed. One important factor has been left out completely. What about the inherently inefficient, wasteful, and costly lifestyle promoted by our poorly designed and auto centric cities? There is a pressing need to restructure our urban centers to create more walkable, sustainable, diverse, and affordable communities. Creating green energy sources and investments in new energy is only one part of the problem, creating a lifestyle that promotes more sustainable way of life is another entirely. One can build all the rails they wish, but if people don’t use them because they have twelve cars in their family’s suburban garage, and can use one of the hundreds of highways already in existence, what is the point?

Creating a green car will not discourage sprawl and its negative effects, or even lower a family’s monthly expenses (which most families could definitely use). Vehicles and maintenance will probably become more expensive, and the cost of gas will be replaced by the cost of another possibly more expensive one. Developing wind farms and solar power will not reduce our need for energy, it will just replace one expense for the other. In some cases, these new energy plants are even being run by foreign companies (Spain). Although local jobs are created, some of the money still leaves the country.

I am not trying to criticize Obama’s plan of action, it is quite commendable and I am very happy this nation is finally changing course on these important issues. Nevertheless, if Obama really hopes to get to the heart of these issues, it is essential that another large part of the effort be directed where the problems are; cities and urban centers. More than 80% of Americans live in urban centers/areas. Americans have the most unsustainable and inefficient lifestyle in the world in large part dictated by the built world around them. According to the USGBC, building account for 38% of the CO2 emissions and consume 70% of the electricity load in the United States. Americans also drive a ridiculous (a lot!) amount.

These inefficiencies spill throughout the American family and the economic system. More than 18% of a families budget is spent on transportation (car), in fact Americans spend more on their car then food and healthcare combined. If Obama really wanted to help our pocketbook, help us ditch one or more of our cars. Dont just give us temporary coupons/tax breaks to dump our older car and buy a new one. That’s not sustainable or environmentally friendly. Can’t we just convert the engines in older cars to natural gas for a small amount ($1500) as they do in other nations rather than sell mediocre hybrid cars?

The truth is American families (not all) live unsustainable an unaffordable lifestyle. Americans need green cars, but more importantly they need an option to the car. Walking, bicycling, rollerblading, and public transportation come to mind. Americans are now forced to live a life relegated behind the wheel; one that causes mothers to drive around during what would usually be free/family time, forces the elderly to live isolated lives, and leads families of four to spend exorbitant amounts on an equal amount of cars. Its true that we really have no one to blame but ourselves, but the government has definitely, over the course of decades and through policy, encouraged this condition. The government, through policy and law can and must now help reverse these conditions.

To be fair, the Obama administration has not been blind to the matter. In fact, in its first 100 days in office, it has proposed a complete about face on issues related to sustainability, energy efficiency, and public transportation as it relates to our cities. With such things as support of a new high speed rail line that Obama hopes to make a central achievement to the appointment of a new HUD chief that understands the connection between a sound policy/development and sustainability, the Obama administration hopes to put the spotlight on unhealthy, shortsighted, and unsustainable development. As Obama said in Fort Myers recently:

”It’s imagining new transportation systems. I’d like to see high speed rail where it can be constructed. I would like for us to invest in mass transit because potentially that’s energy efficient. And I think people are a lot more open now to thinking regionally…

The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody… recognizes that’s not a smart way to design communities. So we should be using this money to help spur this sort of innovative thinking when it comes to transportation.”

As can be seen, Obama is aware of the matter, now it is time for him to make the rest of America see and understand this. It is essential that smart growth initiatives be adopted as well. The joint session of congress would have been a wonderful venue.