Why the focus on these leaders?

“Put Solar On It” is focusing on world leaders that are:

• Strategic for international climate negotiations.
• High-profile and symbolic.
• Potentially influenced by this kind of campaign.

That said, we’ve also setup a way for you to send your message to any world leader.  Just visit www.PutSolarOn.It home page.

Why is 10/10/10 the date we’re asking leaders to install solar panels?

10/10/10 is the “Global Work Party” — a day when communities all over the world will be installing clean energy and celebrating climate solutions.  By keeping the focus on 10/10/10, we can make it clear that communities all over the world are getting to work building the clean energy economy–and we need our political leaders to join us in this effort.

Will this give leaders an easy way out, so they can put solar panels up but not have to take a bold stand on clean energy policy?

No–it will be very difficult for any leader to make this a purely symbolic action that is separate from a major policy initiative for clean energy.  We’re not just asking that they install solar panels on their roof–we demand that leaders “make it possible for everyone in your country to join you in the clean energy future.”  The last sentence of our  call to action may well be the most important: “We need you to act symbolically—and then we need you to act for real.”

What should those government clean energy policies look like?

The visibility of solar panels on government buildings is only the symbolic part of what we’re demanding of our governments. After they hammer in solar panels, they need to step down off the roof and hammer out bold and comprehensive energy legislation, too. The best legislation depends on the country, and we rely on the expertise of partners in these countries for the best information, but all energy legislation should make sure it benefits people equitably. New energy legislation should include ways of removing the burden of dirty energy on poorer people and assist in lifting them out of energy poverty, providing cheap and accessible renewable power.

Who’s behind this campaign?

PutSolarOn.It is coordinated by the same people behind 350.org–but  it’s a collaboration between many partner organizations. If you’d like to get your organization involved, just email “solar [at] 350.org”

Aren’t there already Solar Panels on the White House?

No. Jimmy Carter first installed solar panels on the White House roof in 1979 only to have them removed by Ronald Reagan a few years later. During the Bush administration, the National Park Service quietly installed three different sets of solar panels near the White House, including a set of 167 PV panels on a maintenance building outside the White House grounds, two solar thermal panels on the same maintenance shed, and a set of solar thermal panels on the President’s cabana that helps heat water for the White House pool.

Lighting up the tool shed and heating the pool is good, but it’s not the type of bold statement we’re looking for. President Obama should put a large array of solar panels back on top of the White House, one of the most iconic buildings in the United States, and send a clear message to the nation that it’s time to embrace a clean energy future.

For more detailed information on the panels that are on the White House grounds, click here.