As noted in our last post, 50 Ways You Can Help Obama Change America by Michael Huttner, a guide both practical and inspiring to how you–we–can “make that change.” The book explains what you can do from home, in your community, across our country, and around the world, to fulfill the vision of change that inspired so many of us during the presidential campaign.

Packed with stories from the front-lines, practical information, and tips for action — each one connected to something  President Obama advocated as part of his campaign for change or to something he said or did himself — 50 Ways is a book for everyone who wants to do more to advance the cause of change.

What follows is an excerpt from 50 Ways You Can Help Obama Change America, reprinted here by permission.

50 Ways You Can Help Obama Change America

By Michael Huttner and Jason Salzman

From the Introduction

In many ways, it seemed like a miracle. We elected Barack Obama President of the United States. We volunteered for him and voted for him. Many of us were so overwhelmed and inspired by his victory that we had tears in our eyes on election night.

But what do we do now? How can we help President Obama actually change America?

This book answers that question. Each of the actions it suggests is connected to something President Obama advocated as part of his campaign for change or to something he said or did himself during his life as a community organizer, a politician, and even as a father and husband. Each chapter begins with a quote from the president that touches on the recommended action. So our suggestions on how to support Obama reflect the ways Obama himself has taken action over the course of his life to advance the cause of change.

There’s lots of work to be done to clean up President Bush’s eight years in office. And President Obama can’t do it without our help, just like he couldn’t have gotten elected without a flood of support from people who believed in him.

The uprising can’t stop now. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike believe in Obama and approve of the job he’s doing. Lots of people want to help him but don’t know how. We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but this book is a place to start.

In addition to practical information and tips for action, you’ll find stories from the front lines, where people are fighting to keep President Obama’s momentum going. You’ll read about people who powered President Obama’s success—and then found a way to do more.

This book is written for those of us who still want to do more. No matter which actions you choose, whether you have the time to organize a rally or simply to click a mouse, your effort makes a difference. It’s up to us, collectively, to make the world a better place, not just talk about it.

As President Obama said, the work we have in front of us is even more challenging than winning the election in the first place.

We know it’s not easy to dust ourselves off and get going on a task as gigantic as remaking America, but we can’t stop now. We can’t let this opportunity for change pass us by.

***

From Chapter 1

Achieve Energy Independence

“At a time when our ice caps are melting and our oceans are rising, we need you to help lead a green revolution. We still have time to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change if we get serious about investing in renewable sources of energy and get a generation of volunteers to work on renewable energy projects, if we teach folks about conservation, and help clean up polluted areas, and if we send talented engineers and scientists abroad to help developing countries promote clean energy.”
—Senator Barack Obama, Wesleyan University Commencement, May 25, 2008, Middletown, CT

The Challenge

Since just about everything we use—from toasters and alarm clocks in the morning to automobiles and stereos at night—is powered by fossil fuels, it’s obvious that finding alternative sources of energy is essential to our national security. That’s why President Obama wants this task to be on the nation’s front burner, so to speak.

But “energy independence” does not simply mean reducing oil imports from the Middle East or elsewhere and continuing our dependence on fossil fuels obtained from our own territory. It means using renewable energy sources and energy-efficient technologies that will reduce or eliminate our need for fossil fuels.

There’s no doubt that making America energy independent would go a long way toward enhancing our national security (think: no more wars over oil), preserving the environment (less emission of global-warming gases), and ramping up the economy (to be more competitive). President Obama has articulated the need for energy independence, recognizing limits on how fast clean energy technology can be further developed and deployed.

Practical Information

• An investment of $100 billion in clean energy would create three times as many good jobs as the same investment in the oil industry.
• Each of the years from 1998 to 2008 ranked among the top 25 warmest years ever recorded.
• The thickness of the Arctic ice cap has decreased by 40 percent since the 1960s.
• Americans consume 21 million barrels of oil each day, and about 70 percent of it is used on transportation.

What Can YOU Do

Green your home. See “Green Your Home for the Earth’s Sake” in Section Four.

Green your car. President Obama pledged to put one million plug-in hybrid cars—cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon—on the road by 2015. Consider getting one.

Join a clean energy organization and track the energy debate in Congress. President Obama has assembled a top-notch team to fight for clean energy and against climate change. Members of Congress are lending support by taking leadership roles against fossil-fuel interests and their front groups. The battle is shifting by the day, so we advise that you join the e-mail list of a few of the groups listed in the recommended resources section. Once you begin getting their e-mails, you can decide which group or groups you want to join.

Pay particularly close attention to centrist “Blue Dog” Democrats in Congress. Led by Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, these senators are key to moving Obama’s climate and energy reform agenda forward, as are energy committee members like Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the ranking Republican.

Copyright © 2009 by Michael Huttner and Jason Salzman. All rights reserved.