Ch-ch-ch-changin'

What a concept: our next President actually wants to hear our suggestions. So I submitted the following on his web site, Change.gov. Why don’t you try it too?

Two things really concern me as I listen to and read all the talk about energy and the environment:

1. Why aren’t we talking about conservation? The less energy we use, the less we will have to produce. President Elect Obama really needs to get that message across, not only to the public but to business. He can lead by example too, by making energy conservation a priority in the White House and the government at large.

2. Food production, on factory farms, is a huge contributor to global warming. I was heartened to hear President Elect Obama say that he read Michael Pollan’s NY Times article about this a few weeks ago. It is crucial that Americans begin to hear, from the top, that we need to start growing at least some of our own food.

I live in a tiny apartment with a small balcony, but I am growing herbs and salad greens, and hope to grow some vegetables next spring. We can all do something to make food production more energy efficient by supporting our local farmers too. Will President Elect Obama lead the way? The best way he can do that is by following President Roosevelt’s example and planting an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn, and using the harvest to feed his own family and guests, donating the surplus to local food pantries.