Every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of production. Jimmy Carter, Address to the Nation on Energy Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/243395, The American Presidency ProjectJohn Woolley and Gerhard PetersContact, Copyright The American Presidency ProjectTerms of Service | Privacy | Accessibility, Saturday Weekly Addresses (Radio and Webcast) (1639), State of the Union Written Messages (140). Address to the nation on the War in Vietnam / Richard Nixon -- Remarks on taking the oath of office / Gerald R. Ford -- Energy and national goals : address to the nation / Jimmy Carter -- v. 5. This is an effort which requires vision and cooperation from all Americans. ", And this one from a labor leader got to the heart of it: "The real issue is freedom. We believed that our Nation's resources were limitless until 1973, when we had to face a growing dependence on foreign oil. Although journalists and historians say the address ultimately undermined his presidency, the Democratic candidates vying to challenge President Trump in 2020 have much to learn from Carter's . Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation. ", "Some of your Cabinet members don't seem loyal. It can rekindle our sense of unity, our confidence in the future, and give our Nation and all of us individually a new sense of purpose. He proposed a plan to solve the crisis that focused on expanding the government's responsibility, promoting conservation, and expanding the search for oil to previously untapped areas. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. If we wait and do not act, then our factories will not be able to keep our people on the job with reduced supplies of fuel. But a common national sacrifice to meet this serious problem should be shared by everyone-some proof that the plan is fair. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. The message was usually focused on energy conservation. Forty years ago tonight, President Jimmy Carter delivered his Address to the Nation on National Energy Policy, better known as the "Moral Equivalent of War" speech. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. We are the generation that dedicated our society to the pursuit of human rights and equality. Imports have doubled in the last 5 years. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. If they succeed with this approach, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing. They are going up, whether we pass an energy program or not, as fuel becomes more scarce and more expensive to produce. We will not be ready to keep our transportation system running with smaller and more efficient cars and a better network of buses, trains, and public transportation. But we still have another choice. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977. We can't continue to use oil and gas for 75 percent of our consumption, as we do now, when they only make up 7 percent of our domestic reserves. How does Carter link the energy crisis to a crisis of the American spirit? Carter prefaced his talk about. Since the great price rise in 1973, the Japanese have cut their oil imports, the Germans, the French, the British, the Italians have all cut their oil imports. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. Working with Congress, we've now formed a new Department of Energy, headed by Secretary James Schlesinger. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. I will listen and I will act. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. This button displays the currently selected search type. Our consumption of oil would keep going up every year. We have no choice about that. Demand will overtake production. It will lead to some higher costs and to some greater inconvenience for everyone. Now we have a choice. On June 30, 1979, a weary Jimmy Carter was looking forward to a few days' vacation in Hawaii, as Air Force One sped him away from a grueling economic summit in Tokyo. . We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. Jimmy Carter: "Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978 Statement on Signing H.R. A few weeks ago, in Detroit, an unemployed steelworker told me something that may reflect the feelings of many of you. During the next few weeks, attention will be focused on the Congress, but the proving of our courage and commitment will continue, in different forms and places, in the months and the years, even generations ahead. We ourselves are the same Americans who just 10 years ago put a man on the Moon. He had earned it. Jimmy Carter, Address to the Nation on Energy, Transcript, Miller Center at University of Virginia, April 18, . Several of our discussions were on energy, and I have a notebook full of comments and advice. I will sign the energy bills only if they meet these tests. All Rights Reserved. ", This kind of summarized a lot of other statements: "Mr. President, we are confronted with a moral and a spiritual crisis.". Three-quarters of them would carry only one personthe driverwhile our public transportation system continues to decline. I'm convinced that we can have enough energy to permit the continued growth of our economy, to expand production and jobs, and to protect the security of the United Statesif we act wisely. We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. During the 1960's, we used twice as much as during the 1950's. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. We've always wanted to give our children and our grandchildren a world richer in possibilities than we have had ourselves. The story of the human race is one of adapting to changing circumstances. Imports have doubled in the last 5 years. It's crucial that you understand how serious this challenge is. America overseas is only as strong as America at home. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). I'm announcing tonight that for 1979 and 1980, I will forbid the entry into this country of one drop of foreign oil more than these goals allow. It costs about $13 to waste it. Our imports have more than tripled in the last 10 years. He outlined the creation of a solar bank that he said would eventually supply 20 percent of the nations energy. Each new inventory of world oil reserves has been more disturbing than the last. April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy. World oil production can probably keep going up for another 6 or 8 years. ", This was a good one: "Be bold, Mr. President. I've given you some of the principles of the plan. Within 10 years, we would not be able to import enough oil from any country, at any acceptable price. Talk to us about blood and sweat and tears. By acting now we can control our future instead of letting the future control us. No one will gain an unfair advantage through this plan. Six years ago, we paid $3.7 billion for imported oil. place in this century, with the growing use of oil and natural gas. Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oil--nearly 10 times as much. Conservation helps us solve both problems at once. It pushes up international energy prices because excessive importing of oil by the United States makes it easier for foreign producers to raise their prices. Carter quoted one of the Camp David meeting participants as saying that Americas neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has a knife. In addition, inflation had reached an all-time high during Carters term. The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. In closing, let me say this: I will do my best, but I will not do it alone. More than 6 months ago, in April, I spoke to you about a need for a national policy to deal with our present and future energy problems, and the next day I sent my proposals to the Congress. We can protect ourselves from uncertain supplies by reducing our demand for oil, by making the most of our abundant resources such as coal, and by developing a strategic petroleum reserve. Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern this Nation. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning. Unless profound changes are made to lower oil consumption, we now believe that early in the 1980's the world will be demanding more oil than it can produce. I will continue to travel this country, to hear the people of America. Our plan will call for strict conservation measures if we fall behind. We could endanger our freedom as a sovereign nation to act in foreign affairs. The cost will keep going up. Along with that money that we transport overseas, we will continue losing American jobs and become increasingly vulnerable to supply interruptions. This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. current level; --to cut in half the portion of U.S. oil which is imported--from a potential level of 16 million barrels to 6 million barrels a day; --to establish a strategic petroleum reserve of one billion barrels, more than a 6-months supply; --to increase our coal production by about two-thirds to more than one billion tons a year; Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States: 1977 1981 Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals: "The Malaise Speech" July 15, 1979 Good evening. But we do have a choice about how we will spend the next few years. They will say that sacrifice is fine as long as other people do it, but that their sacrifice is unreasonable or unfair or harmful to the country. We've always wanted to give our children and our grandchildren a world richer in possibilities than we have had ourselves. Politics, Carter said, was full of corruption, inefficiency and evasiveness; he claimed these problems grew out of a deeper, fundamental threat to American democracy. He was not referring to challenges to civil liberties or the countrys political structure or military prowess, however, but to what he called a crisis of confidence that led to domestic turmoil and the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation., At a time when Europeans and the Japanese began out-producing the U.S. in energy-efficient automobiles and some other advanced technologies, Carter said that Americans had lost faith in being the worlds leader in progress. He claimed that Americans' obsession with self-indulgence and material goods had trumped spiritualism and community values. Our fathers and mothers were strong men and women who shaped a new society during the Great Depression, who fought world wars, and who carved out a new charter of peace for the world. What you see too often in Washington and elsewhere around the country is a system of government that seems incapable of action. Carter became a one-term president after Reagan defeated him in a blowout victory in 1980, but Carter's political defeat intensified his lifelong quest to know whether he had done his best and . The strength we need will not come from the White House, but from every house in America.". We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. We know the strength of America. He also pledged a massive commitment of funds and resources to develop alternative fuel sources including coal, plant products and solar power. From now on, every new addition to our demand for energy will be met from our own production and our own conservation. It's clear that the true problems of our Nation are much deeperdeeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. As one of the world's largest producers of coal and oil and gas, why do we have this problem with energy, and why is it so difficult to solve? To some degree, the sacrifices will be painfulbut so is any meaningful sacrifice. Conservation helps us solve both problems at once. World consumption of oil is still going up. James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American retired politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Now, I know that some of you may doubt that we face real energy shortages. A huge box-office hit, the film established Willis as a movie star and spawned three sequels. They want lower taxes on their profits. to reduce gasoline consumption by 10 percent below its. We've always been proud, through our history, of being efficient people. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. You don't like it, and neither do I. I do not mean our political and civil liberties. I'm sure that each of you will find something you don't like about the specifics of our proposal. It's worse because more waste has occurred and more time has passed by without our planning for the future. ", Many people talked about themselves and about the condition of our Nation. I promised you a President who is not isolated from the people, who feels your pain, and who shares your dreams and who draws his strength and his wisdom from you. And it will get worse every day until we act. These funds will go to fight, not to increase, inflation and unemployment. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. We are strong. Unlike the billions of dollars that we ship to foreign countries to pay for foreign oil, these funds will be paid by Americans to Americans. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Georgia state senator from 1963 to 1967, and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.. Carter was born and raised in Plains, Georgia, graduated from the United States Naval . After restoring faith in itself, the nation would be able to march on to the the battlefield of energy [where] we can win for our nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny.. One problem is that the price of all energy is going up, both because of its increasing scarcity and because the price of oil is not set in a free and competitive market. ", And this from a young Chicano: "Some of us have suffered from recession all our lives. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. Intense competition for oil will build up among nations and also among the different regions within our own country. And we are the generation that will win the war on the energy problem and in that process rebuild the unity and confidence of America. They are the ones who will suffer most if we don't act. I know, of course, being President, that government actions and legislation can be very important. First of all, we must face the truth, and then we can change our course. producers deserve fair treatment, but we will not let the oil companies profiteer. More than six months ago, in April, I spoke to you about a need for a national policy to deal with our present and future energy problems, and the next day I sent my proposals to the Congress. 4. The world has not prepared for the future. ", And this from a religious leader: "No material shortage can touch the important things like God's love for us or our love for one another. The oil and natural gas that we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are simply running out. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. It unbalances our Nation's trade with other countries. The world has not prepared for the future. Download media. Our national energy plan is based on 10 fundamental principles. They will say that sacrifice is fine as long as other people do it, but that their sacrifice is unreasonable or unfair or harmful to the country. I believe that the duties of this office permit me to do no less. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity, Miller Center: November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, September 7, 1977: Statement on the Panama Canal Treaty Signing, January 19, 1978: State of the Union Address, September 17, 1978: President Carter's Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit, October 24, 1978: Anti-Inflation Program Speech, December 15, 1978: Speech on Establishing Diplomatic Relations with China, January 23, 1979: State of the Union Address, July 15, 1979: "Crisis of Confidence" Speech, January 23, 1980: State of the Union Address, April 25, 1980: Statement on the Iran Rescue Mission, August 14, 1980: Acceptance Speech at the Democratic National Convention. Point four: I'm asking Congress to mandate, to require as a matter of law, that our Nation's utility companies cut their massive use of oil by 50 percent within the next decade and switch to other fuels, especially coal, our most abundant energy source. In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Supplies will be uncertain. An effective conservation program will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Vast amounts of American wealth no longer stay in the United States to build our factories and to give us a better life. It is worldwide. The question is, who should benefit from those rising prices for oil already discovered? There are two paths to choose. It's fitting that I'm speaking to you on an election day, a day which reminds us that you, the people, are the rulers of this Nation, that your Government will be as courageous and effective and fair as you demand We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Ours is the most wasteful nation on Earth. Thank you very much, and good night. The ninth principle is that we must conserve the fuels that are scarcest and make the most of those that are plentiful. Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. Ours is the most wasteful nation on Earth. Our plan will call for strict conservation measures if we fall behind. The 1973 gas lines are gone, and with this springtime weather, our homes are warm again. Good evening. The . But if we wait, we will constantly live in fear of embargoes. I believe that this country can meet any challenge, but this is an exceptionally difficult one because the threat is not easy to see and the solution is neither simple nor politically popular. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. Each American uses the energy equivalent of 60 barrels of oil per person each year. As president, Jimmy Carter advised Americans to set their thermostats to 55 degrees overnight during the winter months to "waste less energy," offering his guidance in a televised address to the nation on February 2, 1977, in the midst of a national natural gas shortage. When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. We are the heirs of generations who survived threats much more powerful and awesome than those that challenge us now. Conservation is the only way that we can buy a barrel of oil for about $2. What can we do? Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. place in this century, with the growing use of oil and natural gas. Our consumption of oil would keep going up every year. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. The statement marked a dramatic turning point in U.S.-China relations, as well as a major shift in American foreign policy. The fifth principle is that we must be fair. This means that just to stay even we need the production of a new Texas every year, an Alaskan North Slope every 9 months, or a new Saudi Arabia every 3 years. During the subsequent campaign, Goldwater said that he thought the United States should do whatever was necessary to win in Vietnam. We must look back into history to understand our energy problem. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search . I hope that each of you will take steps to conserve our precious energy and also join with your elected officials at all levels of government to meet this test of our Nation's judgment and will. With about the same standard of living, we use twice as much energy per person as do other countries like Germany, Japan, and Sweden. The American Presidency Project (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369). But we can make that transition smoothlyfor our country and for our children and for our grandchildrenonly if we take careful steps now to prepare ourselves for the future. . This is where another major controversy arises. Our cars would continue to be too large and inefficient. Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oilnearly 10 times as much. Carter was unable to solve most of the problems plaguing the country during his administration, including an ailing economy and a continuing energy crisis. Address to the Nation on Energy | The American Presidency Project Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States: 1977 1981 Address to the Nation on Energy April 18, 1977 Good evening. The fifth principle is that we must be fair. The first was about 200 years ago, when we changed away from wood--which had provided about 90 percent of all fuel--to coal, which was much more efficient. Supplies will be uncertain. American wisdom and courage right now can set a path to follow in the future. But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources--America's people, America's values, and America's confidence. Now, these 10 principles have guided the development of the policy that I will describe to you and the Congress on Wednesday night. But sometime in the 1980's, it can't go up any more. But our energy problem is worse tonight than it was in 1973 or a few weeks ago in the dead of winter. On July 15, 1978, the Longest Walka 2,800-mile trek for Native American justice that had started with several hundred marchers in Californiaends in Washington, D.C., accompanied by thousands of supporters. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next 5 years will be worse than the past 5 years. We will monitor our progress toward these goals year by year. We can't substantially increase our domestic production, so we would need to import twice as much oil as we do now. Die Hard also became read more, John Christie, one of Englands most notorious killers, is executed. If we fail to act soon, we will face an economic, social, and political crisis that will threaten our free institutions. But just as we are losing our confidence in the future, we are also beginning to close the door on our past. And the truth is that you cannot talk about economic problems now or in the future without talking about energy. to cut in half the portion of U.S. oil which is importedfrom a potential level of 16 million barrels to 6 million barrels a day; The first principle is that we can have an effective and comprehensive energy policy only if the Government takes responsibility for it and if the people understand the seriousness of the challenge and are willing to make sacrifices. On July 15, 1918, near the Marne River in the Champagne region of France, the Germans begin what would be their final offensive push of World War I. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. But as I was preparing to speak, I began to ask myself the same question that I now know has been troubling many of you. We can decide to act while there is still time. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. Some will cause you to put up with inconveniences and to make sacrifices. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly. If it were possible to keep it rising during the 1970's and 1980's by 5 percent a year, as it has in the past, we could use up all the proven reserves of oil in the entire world by the end of the next decade. We can't continue to use oil and gas for 75 percent of our consumption, as we do now, when they only make up 7 percent of our domestic reserves. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nation's energy crisis and accompanying recession. This means that just to stay even we need the production of a new Texas every year, an Alaskan North Slope every 9 months, or a new Saudi Arabia every 3 years. As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for schools, the news media, and other institutions.
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