Obama: Growth tied to energy independence
President Barack Obama gestures while speaking at a UPS facility in Landover, Md., April 1, 2011. / AP Photo
WASHINGTON - Linking economic growth and energy independence, President Barack Obama says shifting the country away from imported oil and toward cleaner forms of energy will help continue a trend that has led to 1.8 million new jobs in the past 13 months.
Mr. Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday to promote his ideas for bringing down gasoline prices by decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. A blueprint he outlined in a speech this week calls for increasing domestic oil exploration and production, making cars and trucks more energy efficient and building vehicles that run on alternative fuels or electricity.
Noting that the U.S. doesn't have enough oil reserves to meet its needs, he set a goal of reducing imports by one-third by 2025.
Obama: Government shutdown would jeopardize recovery
"By doing so, we're going to make our economy less vulnerable to wild swings in oil prices," Mr. Obama said. "We're going to use cleaner sources of energy that don't imperil our climate. And we're going to spark new products and businesses all over the country by tapping America's greatest renewable resource: our ingenuity."
The address was Mr. Obama's third this week on energy independence. Next Wednesday, he plans to visit Gamesa Technology Corp., a Philadelphia-area maker of wind turbines, for a town-hall discussion with workers about building a clean energy economy.
One week away: Clock ticks on government shutdown
Oil prices have been rising because of growing demand in China and continued instability in some oil-producing countries in the Middle East. That, in turn, has pushed gasoline prices to new highs. The national average for a gallon of gas hit $3.619 on Friday, the highest price ever for this time of year, according to AAA and other sources. Prices have climbed 23.2 cents in the past month and more than 81 cents in the past year.
Mr. Obama said sparking new products and businesses during a transition away from imported oil will help create jobs. He spoke a day after the government reported that 230,000 private sector jobs were created in March, bringing the number of jobs created in the past 13 months to 1.8 million. The national unemployment rate also dipped to a two-year low of 8.8 percent last month.
"That's a good sign," Mr. Obama said in the address. He recorded it during a visit Friday to a UPS shipping facility in suburban Maryland, where he examined all-electric and hybrid vehicles used by AT&T, Verizon, PepsiCo and other companies.
"But we have to keep up the momentum, and transitioning to a clean energy economy will help us do that," he said.
House Speaker John Boehner focused the weekly Republican message on steps he said the government must take to encourage small businesses to create jobs. Among those steps are continuing to cut spending, blocking tax increases, reducing the bureaucracy and eliminating regulations. Boehner once owned a small plastics and packaging business in Ohio.
Boehner said Congress also needs to pass a bill funding the government through Sept. 30, when the budget year ends, and avoid a shutdown. The government's authority to spend money is set to expire next Friday.
"Washington's inability to get spending under control is creating uncertainty for our job creators," Boehner said. "It's discouraging investment in small businesses and eroding confidence in our economy. To put it simply, the spending binge in Washington is holding our country back and keeping our economy from creating jobs."
Popular in Politics
- FBI director acknowledges domestic drone use 116 Comments
- Obama and Berlin: Faded echoes meet new realities
- Smooth, on-time Obamacare rollout no sure thing: GAO
- Obama on NSA programs: Americans "not getting the complete story" 261 Comments
- House Republicans pass 20-week limit on abortions 453 Comments
- Immigration reform would cut deficit, analysis shows
- Senators: U.S. must take "more decisive" military action in Syria
- Obama renews push for a nuclear disarmament legacy
We just need to get off out dependence to oil BEFORE we corrupt every last pristine nook of nature. We're going to have to do it anyway; why not BEFORE?
Go to what? Windmills? Solar panels? You have to have a viable technology to go to before you dump the energy sources that you currently have. There is no green technology that will effectively meet the energy needs of this nation. If there was, I would be all for it - but the technology is not there yet.
The answer is not to put the citizens of this country in an economic bind by driving up the cost of gas or heating oil, or to drive up the cost of coal fire plants to the point that they are put out of business. Until we find a viable alternate technology for our energy needs, we have to continue to provide the current forms at a reasonable price.
Regarding the environment, we are not hurting the environment when we drill in ANWAR. Only one foreign oil company drilled irresponsibly in the gulf, the vast majority have drilled responsibly. Our air and water is far more clean today than in the 1960's. The United States is doing an excelling job keeping the environment reasonably clean. I can't say that about a number of other countries.
Research and development in alternative energy solutions is one thing, it is absolutely dumb to declare that we will have have solutions before we have them.
""By doing so, we're going to make our economy less vulnerable to wild swings in oil prices," Mr. Obama said. "We're going to use cleaner sources of energy that don't imperil our climate. And we're going to spark new products and businesses all over the country by tapping America's greatest renewable resource: our ingenuity."
This is pure speculation on the part of President Obama. He is dreaming. We need hard factual solutions.
Gasoline fumes are explosive and its hazardous material. Why is it that if someone wants to purchase explosives they need a federal license and they must have proper storage.
Now if a Wall Street banker wants to buy fuel futures they do not have to have a proper place of storage?
I think a federal license to possess the oil/petro should be required and it should be contingent upon having proper storage facilities. I recognize they intend to short sell it, but there is also a possibility they might have accept shipment.
Then the second step is to tax short selling profits at 100% so the governent can reduce its deficit.
Its a great idea and if implemented gas prices would fall to around $ 2.00 a gallon.
Barack Obama 2008 interview with SF Chronicle went like this:
"What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.
I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.
That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.
The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.
It's just that it will bankrupt them."
You don't replace your current form of energy until another viable form of alternate energy is found and developed. If windmills and solar panels were efficient and viable forms of energy, private utility companies would be out building them in mass without being subsidized with public funding. These forms of energy are not at a point where they can meet the energy needs of the nation economically. There is nothing wrong with doing research and development of alternative forms of energy, but you do not change over until the technology is ready. You don't make war on the current forms of energy that nation depends on until you have a viable alternative.
ANWR and CAFE together will not do that. But both together will make an impact. If we replace all that oil with electricity we need about another 500 gigawatts-year of energy per year to replace the imported oil. That should be our goal. No one is talking about what the final goal should be nor are they setting targets to meet any goals.
If we make fuel from corn or from algae or from solar cells we will need more electricity. If we go to electric cars powered by batteries or fuel cells we need more electricity.
We should strive to live the way we want to live by figuring out how to generate the energy we need. We don't need to forgo our lifestyle to save electricity.
Be more energy efficient is great. Not driving to grandmas house to save energy is not.
So campaign for an goal of generating 500 gigwatt-year of energy per year over any time period you want. Make a system engineering plan to do that and give it to your Congressman or Congresswoman. Put in long and short term targets in the plan. Then you will be helping and not carping.
That's because as gas becomes more expensive, alternative fuels become more cost-effective.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics limits the amount of energy that can be captured from sources like sun, wind, algae ... it's never going to supplant fossil fuels so long as gas is more cost-effective (which would be indicative of readily available reserves relative to demand) ...
AND YOU DO?? Where did you get your Ph.D. in Physics?
Care to offer a little more than the usual Leftist insults? OHH thats right I remember reading that in "Rules For Radicals" When you lose the argument shift it to a personal attack.
Hey Leftist can I borrow your copy I think Im going to need it to brush up on the Leftist methodology. If you cant put your hands on it right now I know where I can get a good copy. Obama's Desk. The Socialist Vacationer-in-Chief always keeps it out for quick reference.
Wall Street speculators; commodity traders, hedge fund managers, and other Wall Street gamblers are manipulating prices to fill their own wallets.
The CTFC, the Commodities Future Trading Commission, should put a stop to Wall Street gamblers, but the Republicans on the Commissions refuse to do so and they are working overtime to prevent any action. The Republicans in Congress will block any action as well. But we can expect that because oil companies are funding both the GOP and the Tea Party Movement. The Tea Party congressmen elected in the 2010 are basically puppets of big oil interests like the Koch Brothers.
The higher price the public pays at the pump, the more money goes in the Republican campaign coffers. So when gasoline hits $ 6.00 a gallon, remember whose pockets you're filling.
Its Conservatives fault that Obama illegally shut down one of our biggest oil fields. Its Conservatives fault that Liberals have stopped drilling in ANWR even though its been proven safer to drill on land than water. Its Conservatives fault that Obama forged documents to influence a Federal Court that subsequently ruled against him and his drilling ban. ( The 2nd Federal Court Judge to do so.) Its Conservatives fault that Obama has loaned BILLIONS AND BILLIONS to 3rd world countries so that they could drill for oil and then sell it to US. Its Conservatives fault that Obama shutdown drilling for SEVEN years off the Coast. Its Conservatives fault that Obama has loaded up America with 5 Trillion dollars in NEW DEBT that is devaluing our currency. Its Conservatives fault that since oil is priced in dollars per barrel and we now have a devalued currency the oil producers are getting paid in a currency that has dropped 15% in value. Its Conservatives fault that Obama and his merry band of Leftist Radicals continue to pursue FAR LEFT policies that have NEVER worked ANYWHERE in the history of the world. ANYWHERE ....EVER....
The man (???) has been elected President for 2 1/2 yrs. When do you think it is going to be HIS fault????
There are additional developments in algae and even methane-producing bacteria which could be sources of technology.
The first economy to free itself from fossil fuel will dominate the 21st century. Obama wants the US to be that economic power. A lot of the name-callers on this blog apparently want to turn the world over to the Chinese.
Just Google "Spain Green Energy scam"
Spain has been literally bankrupted by its "green energy" scam.
The "Green Energy" forced all utilities rates to "skyrocket"
HEY WAIT A SECOND ..Didnt Obama say the same thing??
YES HE DID ... Here is the Video!!
He also said that if you have a coal powered plant then Obama would "bankrupt" you. By the way has anyone told Obama that Coal produces 1/2 the electricity here in the 57 states that make up America.
Spain now has an official unemployment rate of 22% (And we are hurting here at half of that)People can not get a job since ALL industry fled the country. They were stuck with the wonderful choice of paying energy costs that "Skyrocketed" 400% or buy food. The Spanish newspaper La Gaceta ripped the Spanish program as being the cause for the collapse of the entire country.
So msimamaji you keep selling that Cap and Trade and Green Energy scam. Just don't try it with people who have the facts. (This would obviously leave out consumers of news from the Liberal Media who repeatedly are hiding the countless failures of Obama's policies as well as his FAR FAR Left ideology.
I know I know next week you will say India or Germany or some other country is going gangbusters etc etc etc. Here is the basic basic fact you Leftist can not get through your head. NO "Green Energy" is anywhere close to economically viable!! NONE!! Why would anyone use energy that cost double,triple or even in some cases 4x as much??
Obama's answer for that is too just tax current forms of energy and thus narrow that huge price surcharge for "green energy". Typical Leftist gets it wrong AGAIN! Focus on lowering the costs to make green energy more attractive. Dont tax traditional forms of energy. But then again we are talking about Leftists. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING THEY GOT RIGHT????
ZIPPOOO !!
NOTHING.
When you mine rare-earths and lithium it take energy to refine them and causes various chemical pollutants.
If you make Si solar cells strong acids like HF is used with the associated waste and dangers. If one uses the GaAs high efficiency solar cells then arsenic poisoning may be a problem. One tank of AsH3 that leaks out could kill thousands of people.
Solar cells in the best locations will change the local environment in regions that are environmentally fragile.
Wind power kills migrating birds and take a lot of land.
Solar sea power if every built would require more than doubling our mining of titanium world wide.
We need to generate an additional 500 Gigawatt-year of energy per year to be come energy independent. There is only one way of doing it fast and relatively cheap without coal.
Obama i do applaud him saying that we needed to but he and his administration has no plans or short term goals on how to do it. I don't think he knows the magnitude of the problem.
If you think the 500 gigawatts is too high. Calculate it yourself. Assume that an internal combustion engine is 22 percent efficient. Then you can calculate how mush energy you need to replace it with. Then divide that number by the efficiency of generating electricity by any means you want. Then the efficiency of delivering that power and then the efficiency of turning that delivered power into mechanical energy for our cars. You will come out withing 20% of the number I give here.