What the Stimulus Package Means for the Environment

I think the stimulus package was a step in the right direction for our government to start seriously thinking about the environment in tandem with economy. The future of jobs in America are in green jobs, not the auto industry or coal mining. Although the plan is not perfect (like the $3.4 billion for fossil fuel research as Drew mentioned) it is a start. If the plan was heaped in environmental spending, it may not have passed through Congress. Some environmentalists think Obama did not go far enough in his spending on clean energy and the environment, however, we need to recognize the parts of the plan (such as the money for smart-grid and clean up) as a stepping stone for a more comprehensive energy bill to be passed in the near future. The stimulus has some beneficial spending for the environment, but it is just a warm-up for what the country really needs to accomplish.