When I first heard about the "Solar on the White House" project earlier this summer I was excited, but quickly grew more ambivalent. My first reaction was "what a great way to promote solar energy," but I grew sympathetic to the perspective that this country is so crazy that if Obama put solar PV or thermal on the White House we would indeed be treated to an endless and unhelpful summer of Obama = Carter freakout, as well as a serious and sober national debate about how solar energy is really the purview of hippies and communists.
I still think there's merit to that argument, but I'm a bit chastened by Bill McKibben's article at Grist. I think he makes valid points, and deserves to be listened to and taken seriously. Greens have eaten a lot of shit these last few years, and we've basically waited in the back of the left-wing coalition line (well, maybe ahead of unions). Whether or not Harry Reid can push an RES through the lame duck session, it would be nice for the activists to get some support, token or otherwise, from the administration.
Just my two cents.
