Obama, at MIT, declares clean energy key to global economic leadership

The nations of the world are in a “peaceful competition” to develop the energy technologies that will power the 21st century — and the nation that wins that competition will be the nation that will lead the global economy, U.S. President Barack Obama told an audience at MIT today. “And I want America to be that nation. It’s that simple,” Obama added.

Obama visited the MIT campus to deliver an address about American leadership on clean energy. In his speech about the topic, Obama evoked the pioneer history of the U.S., noting that the American people have always sought new frontiers. Todays’ pioneers, he suggested, include entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers.  As a nation, Obama said “we have always been about innovation. We have always been about discovery.”

Obama noted that the stimulus bill represented the largest single boost in scientific research  in history. He discussed the need to transform our energy system into one that’s far cleaner and more efficient — and said that transformation will be made as swiftly and carefully as possible. Obama said that the Pentagon has declared dependence on fossil fuels a security threat.