July 9, 2010

A Solar Revival at the White House?

Photo by Wayne National Forest, <a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/waynenf/3725051641/">via Flickr</a>.

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Will President Obama pull a Jimmy Carter? No, I’m not talking about failing to get reelected. I’m talking about throwing up some solar panels on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The group 350.org and the solar company Sungevity is petitioning Obama and other world leaders to take their residences off the grid. After all, Obama did promise to green the White House shortly after he was elected.

Here’s their pitch:

Should Sasha and Malia be studying by the light of a solar powered bulb?

Today, environmental author Bill McKibben and his international campaign350.org are joining the solar company Sungevity in a new effort to encourage President Obama to reinstall an updated set of solar panels on the White House roof.

In 1979, President Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House only to have them taken down by Reagan a few years later. (Reagan also slashed subsidies for solar and now other nations dominate the industry).

They end with this hope: “Who knows, maybe before too long President Obama will be signing a new climate law by the light of a solar powered bulb?”

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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