jimmy carter address to the nation on energy jimmy carter address to the nation on energy

I will continue to travel this country, to hear the people of America. Yesterday, after careful consideration, I announced the postponement of a major overseas trip until after Christmas because of the paramount importance of developing an effective energy plan this year. I'll read just a few. Because we are now running out of gas and oil, we must prepare quickly for a third changeto strict conservation and to the renewed use of coal and to permanent renewable energy sources like solar power. The 1973 gas lines are gone, and with this springtime weather, our homes are warm again. President Jimmy Carter (b. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. This is where another major controversy arises. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy secure nation. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. This is one reason that I'm working with the Congress to create a new Department of Energy to replace more than 50 different agencies that now have some control over energy. Unless we act quickly, imports will continue to go up, and all the problems that I've just described will grow even worse. Demand will overtake production. President Carter was elected to office several years after the 1973 Oil Embargo, which devastated the gas turbine market in the United State. Too few of our utility companies will have switched to coal, which is our most abundant energy source. Because we are now running out of gas and oil, we must prepare quickly for a third change--to strict conservation and to the renewed use of coal and to permanent renewable energy sources like solar power. We've recommended that the price, for instance, of new natural gas be raised each year to the average price of domestic oil that would produce the same amount of energy. "I am a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor, and a Christian," Jimmy Carter said while introducing himself to national political reporters when he announced his campaign to be the 39th president of the United States in December 1974.. As journalists and historians consider Carter's legacy, this prelude to Carter's campaign offers insight into how he . "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. I do not promise a quick way out of our Nation's problems, when the truth is that the only way out is an all-out effort. 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. The American Presidency Project (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369). The oil and natural gas that we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are simply running out. Point three: To give us energy security, I am asking for the most massive peacetime commitment of funds and resources in our Nation's history to develop America's own alternative sources of fuel--from coal, from oil shale, from plant products for gasohol, from unconventional gas, from the Sun. The world price is set by a foreign cartelthe governments of the so-called OPEC nations. We are only cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. Ten years ago, when foreign oil was cheap, we imported just 2 1/2 million barrels of oil a day, about 20 percent of what we used. Six years ago, we paid $3.7 billion for imported oil. Point one: I am tonight setting a clear goal for the energy policy of the United States. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). Obviously, this cannot continue. 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. Our solutions must ask equal sacrifices from every region, every class of people, and every interest group. These efforts will cost money, a lot of money, and that is why Congress must enact the windfall profits tax without delay. The fourth principle is that we must reduce our vulnerability to potentially devastating embargoes. FILE - Lillian Carter is flanked by her sons Jimmy, right, and Billy as she met them down at Billy's gas station, where the Carters and neighbors cleaned fish prior to a town cookout, June 26, 1976. 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? It hurts every American family. In closing, let me say this: I will do my best, but I will not do it alone. We can continue using scarce oil and natural gas to generate electricity and continue wasting two-thirds of their fuel value in the process. We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. 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. Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidence - Jimmy Carter : Discuss: Jimmy Carter - Address to the Nation on Energy (April 18, 1977) Discuss: Jimmy Carter - Address to the Nation on Energy (November 8, 1977) Discuss: Jimmy Carter - President Carter's Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit (September 17, 1978) Discuss 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 was a good one: "Be bold, Mr. President. We often think of conservation only in terms of sacrifice. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. The . Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. But you did not choose your elected officials simply to fill an office. There are three things that we must do to avoid this danger: first, cut back on consumption; second, shift away from oil and gas to other sources of energy; and third, encourage production of energy here in the United States. If you will join me so that we can work together with patriotism and courage, we will again prove that our great Nation can lead the world into an age of peace, independence, and freedom. The former . We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and our grandchildren. If we do not act, then by 1985 we will be using 33 percent more energy than we use today. The first was about 200 years ago, when we changed away from wood--which had provided about 90 percent of all fuelto coal, which was much more efficient. 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. Ours is the most wasteful nation on Earth. This from a southern Governor: "Mr. President, you are not leading this Nation you're just managing the Government. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning. One choice, of course, is to continue doing what we've been doing before. to use solar energy in more than 2 1/2 million houses. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 sent energy prices soaring, and four years later, the impacts were still rippling through the economy. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. This has already started. But after listening to the American people I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can't fix what's wrong with America. We respected the Presidency as a place of honor until the shock of Watergate. The fifth principle is that we must be fair. Versace is shot twice in the head, and Cunanan flees the scene. The confidence that we have always had as a people is not simply some romantic dream or a proverb in a dusty book that we read just on the Fourth of July. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation. Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. 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. And it will get worse every day until we act. ", And this is one of the most vivid statements: "Our neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has a knife. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. Center on Global Energy Policy in Boydton, VA Expand search. We simply must have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this Nation. Confidence has defined our course and has served as a link between generations. place in this century, with the growing use of oil and natural gas. It's worse because more waste has occurred and more time has passed by without our planning for the future. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. 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. This summer we used more oil and gasoline than ever before in our history. There is something especially American in the kinds of changes that we have to make. The third principle is that we must protect the environment. If we fail to act soon, we will face an economic, social, and political crisis that will threaten our free institutions. I can't be too concerned about other things when I have a 10-year-old daughter to raise and I don't have a job and I'm 56 years old." Thank you very much, and good night. We remember when the phrase "sound as a dollar" was an expression of absolute dependability, until 10 years of inflation began to shrink our dollar and our savings. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. Point six: I'm proposing a bold conservation program to involve every State, county, and city and every average American in our energy battle. It will demand that we make sacrifices and changes in every life. Our emphasis on conservation is a clear difference between this plan and others which merely encouraged crash production efforts. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nation's energy crisis and accompanying recession. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. These are facts and we simply must face them: What I have to say to you now about energy is simple and vitally important. Those citizens who insist on driving large, unnecessarily powerful cars must expect to pay more for that luxury. ", And this one from a labor leader got to the heart of it: "The real issue is freedom. Just as a similar synthetic rubber corporation helped us win World War II, so will we mobilize American determination and ability to win the energy war. On July 15, 1979, amid stagnant economic growth, high inflation, and an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter delivered a televised address to the American people. Pike was instructed to seek out headwaters of the Arkansas and Red rivers and to investigate read more, Spree killer Andrew Cunanan murders world-renowned Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace on the steps outside his Miami mansion. Our children who will be born this year will come of age in the 21st century. They have never been healed. I do not mean our political and civil liberties. We are strong. It feeds serious inflationary pressures in our own economy. Good evening. We know the strength of America. World oil production can probably keep going up for another 6 or 8 years. Copyright 2023. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly. The car, produced at Fords plant on Mack Street (now Mack Avenue) in Detroit, was delivered to read more, On July 15, 1789, only one day after the fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of a new revolutionary regime in France, the French aristocrat and hero of the American War for Independence, Marie-Joseph Paul Roch Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, becomes the read more. When Jimmy Carter stepped onto the national stage, he brought along those closest to him, introducing Americans to a colorful Georgia family that helped shape the 39th president's public life But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 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. 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. The tenth and last principle is that we must start now to develop the new, unconventional sources of energy that we will rely on in the next century. We are at a turning point in our history. During the next few weeks, the Congress will make a judgment on these vital questions. current level; We've always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. Jimmy Carter's Acceptance Speech, July 15, 1976 Inaugural Address as President, January 20, 1977 State of the Union Address, January 19, 1978 State of the Union Address, January 23, 1979 Energy and National Goals: Address to the Nation, July 15, 1979 State of the Union Address, January 23, 1980 State of the Union Address, January 16, 1981 The eighth principle is that Government policies must be predictable and certain. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy. Whether this plan truly makes a difference will not be decided now here in Washington but in every town and every factory, in every home and on every highway and every farm. In a few years, when the North Slope is producing fully, its total output will be just about equal to 2 years' increase in our own Nation's energy demand. We have no choice about that. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. Our farmers are the greatest agricultural exporters the world has ever known, but it now takes all the food and fiber that we export in 2 years just to pay for 1 year of imported oilabout $45 billion. producers deserve fair treatment, but we will not let the oil companies profiteer. All of us have heard about the large oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. I will sign the energy bills only if they meet these tests. We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Our Nation's economic and political independence is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oil--nearly 10 times as much. With God's help and for the sake of our Nation, it is time for us to join hands in America. 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; The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. --to insulate 90 percent of American homes and all new buildings; They made possible the age of automobile and airplane travel. 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. 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. We have more coal than any nation on Earth. Conservation is the only way that we can buy a barrel of oil for about $2. Carter also addresses his ideas to improve the economy and reduce the size of government. Our imports have more than tripled in the last 10 years. Vast amounts of American wealth no longer stay in the United States to build our factories and to give us a better life. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 sent energy prices soaring, and four years later, the impacts were still rippling through the economy. ", "Mr. President, we're in trouble. They were more convenient and cheaper than coal, and the supply seemed to be almost without limit. In the late 1970s, the United States faced a variety of challenges, including high inflation, rising interest and unemployment rates, and an energy crisis created by . The Arab oil embargo of 1973 sent energy prices soaring, and four years later, the impacts were still rippling through the economy. ", "We've got to use what we have. We can decide to act while there is still time. By 1972, we were importing about 30 percent. One choice, of course, is to continue doing what we've been doing before. 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. These changes did not happen overnight. Now we have a choice. Confidence in the future has supported everything else--public institutions and private enterprise, our own families, and the very Constitution of the United States. A Democrat, he was governor of Georgia from 1971-1975, and a member of the state Legislature (in the Senate) from 1963 to 1967. The tenth and last principle is that we must start now to develop the new, unconventional sources of energy that we will rely on in the next century. It causes unemployment. During the 1950's, people used twice as much oil as during the 1940's. I'm sure that each of you will find something you don't like about the specifics of our proposal. The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. They want immediate and permanent deregulation of gas prices, which would cost consumers $70 billion or more between now and 1985. We've always been proud of our vision of the future. 4. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. 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. Along with that money that we transport overseas, we will continue losing American jobs and become increasingly vulnerable to supply interruptions. Whether this plan truly makes a difference will not be decided now here in Washington but in every town and every factory, in every home and on every highway and every farm. You often see a balanced and a fair approach that demands sacrifice, a little sacrifice from everyone, abandoned like an orphan without support and without friends. He recounted a meeting he had hosted at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, with leaders in the fields of business, labor, education, politics and religion. I have faith that meeting this challenge will make our own lives even richer. read more. The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now and then reversed as we move through the 1980's, for I am tonight setting the further goal of cutting our dependence on foreign oil by one-half by the end of the next decade--a saving of over 4 1/2 million barrels of imported oil per day.