We've always been proud of our vision of the future. And above all, I will act. 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. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity, Miller Center: April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, March 9, 1977: Remarks at President Carter's Press Conference, May 22, 1977: University of Notre Dame Commencement, September 7, 1977: Statement on the Panama Canal Treaty Signing, November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, 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. State of the Union Address 1979. I believe that the duties of this office permit me to do no less. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent of war" and called on Americans to conserve energy. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. Those citizens who insist on driving large, unnecessarily powerful cars must expect to pay more for that luxury. 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. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nations energy crisis and accompanying recession. 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. In fact, it is the most painless and immediate way of rebuilding our Nation's strength. We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. First of all, I got a lot of personal advice. For the fifth time I would have described the urgency of the problem and laid out a series of legislative recommendations to the Congress. It will demand that we make sacrifices and changes in every life. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. We can't substantially increase our domestic production, so we would need to import twice as much oil as we do now. 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 . This effort will permit you to build conservation into your homes and your lives at a cost you can afford. This excessive importing of foreign oil is a tremendous and rapidly increasing drain on our national economy. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. Play Video. It's a problem that we will not be able to solve in the next few years, and it's likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century. He puts forth several initiatives to push the nation towards greater. These changes did not happen overnight. This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our Nation. With every passing month, our energy problems have grown worse. Second, as I've said before, it's designed to meet our important goals for energy conservation, to promote a shift to more plentiful and permanent energy supplies and encourage increased production of energy in the United States. In spite of increased effort, domestic production has been dropping steadily at about 6 percent a year. 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. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. But if we wait, we will constantly live in fear of embargoes. They want immediate and permanent deregulation of gas prices, which would cost consumers $70 billion or more between now and 1985. But when this Nation critically needs a refinery or a pipeline, we will build it. It's also especially difficult to deal with long-range, future challenges. We will act together. January 23, 1979. But sometime in the 1980's, it can't go up any more. It will demand that we make sacrifices and changes in every life. That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests ending in chaos and immobility. This writer voted for Carter in 1976. Our solutions must ask equal sacrifices from every region, every class of people, and every interest group. Thank you very much, and good night. "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. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. This is not a contest of strength between the President and the Congress, nor between the House and the Senate. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. We often think of conservation only in terms of sacrifice. I feel like ordinary people are excluded from political power. Conservation helps us solve both problems at once. 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. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. Two days from now, I will present to the Congress my energy proposals.. Its Members will be my partners, and they have already given me a great deal of valuable advice. We have the world's highest level of technology. Conservation is the only way that we can buy a barrel of oil for about $2. I know that many of you have suspected that some supplies of oil and gas are being withheld from the market. But we do have a choice about how we will spend the next few years. You can help me to develop a national agenda for the 1980's. 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 Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation. 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. Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. read more. During the 1950's, people used twice as much oil as during the 1940's. 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. Let me try to describe the size and the effect of the problem. 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. ", "Some of your Cabinet members don't seem loyal. These funds will go to fight, not to increase, inflation and unemployment. 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. Carter didn't directly recommend rationing, but it's clear he . April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. Jimmy Carter November 08, 1977 Source National Archives Amid looming concern regarding the scarcity of oil resources President Carter delivers a message in stark terms, urging Americans to band together in order to eliminate the wasting of energy resources. This from a young woman in Pennsylvania: "I feel so far from government. 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. This difficult effort will be the "moral equivalent of war," except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not to destroy. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. And the truth is that you cannot talk about economic problems now or in the future without talking about energy. I propose the creation of an energy security corporation to lead this effort to replace 2 1/2 million barrels of imported oil per day by 1990. Tonight I want to examine in a broad sense the state of our American Union--how we are building a new foundation for a peaceful and a prosperous world. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. All rights reserved. ", "If you lead, Mr. President, we will follow. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. . 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;
"We can't go on consuming 40 percent more energy than we produce. We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. 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. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. The world has not prepared for the future. One of the visitors to Camp David last week put it this way: "We've got to stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, stop cursing and start praying. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. Our cars would continue to be too large and inefficient. This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. This from a southern Governor: "Mr. President, you are not leading this Nation you're just managing the Government. There is something especially American in the kinds of changes that we have to make. Now, I know that some of you may doubt that we face real energy shortages. We can spend until we empty our treasuries, and we may summon all the wonders of science. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. 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. Our national energy plan is based on 10 fundamental principles. The Secretary of Defense said recently, "The present deficiency of assured energy sources is the single surest threat to our security and to that of our allies." Die Hard also became read more, John Christie, one of Englands most notorious killers, is executed. I have no doubt that this is the right decision, because the other nations of the worldallies and adversaries alikeawait our energy decisions with a great interest and concern. When we import oil we are also importing inflation plus unemployment. I do not mean our political and civil liberties. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. 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. I've given you some of the principles of the plan. In April 1977, under the dark cloud of the energy crisis, President Jimmy Carter told the nation that the difficult effort needed to move beyond the shortages and high prices of that era "will be the moral equivalent of war.". Our solutions must ask equal sacrifices from every region, every class of people, and every interest group. But, unfortunately, there are still some who seek personal gain over the national interest. Our energy plan captures and returns them to the public, where they can stimulate the economy, save more energy, and create new jobs. It costs us business investments. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. It unbalances our Nation's trade with other countries. Our plan will call for strict conservation measures if we fall behind. Following is a transcript of President Carter's address to the nation on energy problems last night in Washington, as recorded by The New York Times through the facilities of ABC News: It's. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency . Gradually, you've heard more and more about what the Government thinks or what the Government should be doing and less and less about our Nation's hopes, our dreams, and our vision of the future. Many groups have risen to the challenge. This has already started. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. Unless we act quickly, imports will continue to go up, and all the problems that I've just described will grow even worse. We are only Cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. 4 min read. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. 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. 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. Good evening. I will continue to travel this country, to hear the people of America. We are only cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. 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 November 08, 1977. 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
It's worse because more waste has occurred and more time has passed by without our planning for the future. We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and our grandchildren. It feeds serious inflationary pressures in our own economy. 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. It hurts every American family. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. We've also proposed, and the Congress is reviewing, incentives to encourage production of oil and gas here in our own country. The question is, who should benefit from those rising prices for oil already discovered? The oil and natural gas that we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are simply running out. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. 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. Good evening. It has been an extraordinary 10 days, and I want to share with you what I've heard. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. And you are also deeply involved in these decisions. The second change took. In the 1970s, oil and gas shortages experienced in many parts of the U.S. were erroneously blamed on resource exhaustion rather than government price and allocation controls. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. Our plan will call for strict conservation measures if we fall behind. 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. First of all, we must face the truth, and then we can change our course. It is a true challenge of this generation of Americans. The 1973 gas lines are gone, and with this springtime weather, our homes are warm again. Within 10 years, we would not be able to import enough oil from any country, at any acceptable price. It costs about $13 to waste it. But just as we are losing our confidence in the future, we are also beginning to close the door on our past. The world has not prepared for the future. We can decide to act while there is still time. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. Another very important question before Congress is how to let the market price for domestic oil go up to reflect the cost of replacing it while, at the same time, protecting the American consumers and our own economy. Demand will overtake production. The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. The third principle is that we must protect the environment. And this year we may spend $45 billion. 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 . We have the natural resources. The cost will keep going up. We've always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. Above all, they will be fair. Vast amounts of American wealth no longer stay in the United States to build our factories and to give us a better life. Just as the search for solutions to our energy shortages has now led us to a new awareness of our Nation's deeper problems, so our willingness to work for those solutions in energy can strengthen us to attack those deeper problems. Restoring that faith and that confidence to America is now the most important task we face. 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.
Simone Lutgert Gomez,
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