Earth Day: Obama promotes wind, Limbaugh promotes plastic

What do President Obama and Rush Limbaugh have in common today? They're both celebrating Earth Day.

They just have different ways of expressing their celebrations.

We told you earlier that while President Obama was scheduled to discuss the benefits of wind power at a green manufacturing facility in Iowa, Limbaugh was honoring the memory of the man who invented the plastic bag.

Since that time, both have spoken and we can update you a bit on what they're talking about.

Obama

At the Trinity Structural Towers wind energy plant in Newton, Iowa, President Obama announced that the legislation he's pursuing will move the country toward energy independence while preventing the "worst consequences of climate change".

"Last week, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court, the EPA determined that carbon dioxide and other tailpipe emissions are harmful to the health and well-being of our people," he said. "There is no question that we have to regulate carbon pollution; the only question is how we do so."

"I believe the best approach is through legislation that places a market-based cap on these kinds of emissions. Today key members of my administration are testifying in Congress on a bill that seeks to enact exactly this kind of market-based approach. My hope is that this will be the vehicle through which we put this policy in effect."

Water lease

He also announced an executive action that he termed "historic." The president said his administration would establish a program to lease federal waters "to generate electricity from wind as well as from ocean currents and other renewable sources."

"This will open the door to major investments in offshore clean energy," he said. "It is estimated that if we fully pursue our potential for wind energy on land and offshore, wind can generate as much as 20 percent of our electricity by 2030, creating as many as 250,000 jobs in the process. As with so many clean energy investments, it’s win-win: good for environment and great for our economy."

Limbaugh

Meanwhile Rush Limbaugh announced on his radio program that he will personally see to it that he destroys two acres of rain forest.

"What else am I going to do for Earth Day?" he asked. "I'm going to have every one of my cars driven as much as possible today; I've got my airplane flying to Los Angeles and back; ... all the lights are going to be on, the air conditioning down to 68 degrees in all, well, four out of the five houses -- the property manager in [the fifth house] likes the temperature down to 65 degrees."

Plastic bags

Earlier we told you that Limbaugh -- in what he called a solemn tribute -- honored the late Gordon Dancy.

"He invented the first high-density plastic grocery bag, which can handle up to 40 pounds of stuff. That singular invention has benefited our daily life on earth in multitudinous ways," Limbaugh said.

The car

Limbaugh also "honored" Charles and Frank Duryea.

"On September 20, 1893 they constructed and tested the first gasoline-powered automobile," he said. "They were also the first to incorporate into an American automobile business. Now we travel the Earf in gas-powered cars; we owe these two a debt of gratitude."

And, just like last time, we pause to celebrate perhaps the most appropriate band for Earth Day -- Earth, Wind, and Fire.

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