First Things First...

President-elect Obama is about 2 months away from his inauguration. No doubt he is hard at work preparing what we all anticipate to be one of the most historic speeches in the annals of our nation's government.

Why not help him write it?

The One Campaign has sent out a call to action:
President-elect Obama will have historic opportunities to bring hope and dignity to millions currently suffering from poverty and preventable diseases, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS.

We can make a difference by showing our support for an inaugural affirmation of Obama's pledge to fight poverty and preventable diseases worldwide, and for an FY2010 Presidential budget request that puts the U.S. on track to meet Obama's historic commitments to the world's poorest people.

They have set a goal for 50,000 people to add their name to a petition for President-elect Obama to make clear his plans for supporting measures to prevent and treat extreme poverty.

You can sign the petition by clicking here.

And you can add your own statement as well, if you wish. Mine is posted below:
"By stabilizing the poorest regions of the world, we can ensure greater safety and stability at home. Though it is within the American ethic to do this for the benefit of our neighbors, there is a great ancillary reward for our own nation and its allies. Current defense spending is misguided, unaccountable, and exacerbates poverty and social inequities in our own country. We need to take on a strategy of goodwill and peace that contrasts with the diplomatic failures of the previous Presidential administration. Rather than destroying infrastructure, we need to focus on re-building it in failed states, which as you know are hotbeds for terrorism and piracy. Instead of merely using unchecked military force, we need to work collaboratively to ensure majority global support."

Please at least sign the petition and show your interest in helping the world's poorest people. And if you can, send your own personalized thoughts or pass the message on to friends. Get involved early and often. Be well, and do good.

My Energy Plan

Earlier today, I visited a website for the Energy & Environment Transition Team of Barack Obama's upcoming administration. It has a video and a short blurb about what it is and that they want to hear people's ideas.

I submitted this brief message:

"While I can appreciate a shift toward what are considered cleaner energy sources, I feel that the Obama administration needs to remember that nuclear energy is not clean energy. As a resident of the state of Utah, it may be more apparent to me that nuclear waste dumping is a real issue and one that is forcing greater pressure on us if we encourage more dependency on nuclear energy. Instead, I concur with the video that we should take a more grassroots approach to solving the energy crisis. We can do this by implementing truly green solar, wind, and hydro projects on the local level via state and federal subsidies which can be recouped through temporarily reclaiming energy production surpluses. This would also generate needed jobs and provide greater national security through diversification of resource distribution and availability. Please contact me if you have questions or comments regarding this proposed strategy."

Please let me know what you think of this plan and some potential problems that might be faced in theory or with implementing it. Also, please go to the website and share your opinion on what you think needs to be done. Thank you.