We have no choice about that. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy secure nation. Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. Energy will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this Nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge that our country will face during our lifetime. This will not be the last time that I, as President, present difficult and controversial choices to you and ask for your help. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search . The choices facing the Members of Congress are not easy. What I do promise you is that I will lead our fight, and I will enforce fairness in our struggle, and I will ensure honesty. They are going up, whether we pass an energy program or not, as fuel becomes more scarce and more expensive to produce. The world has not prepared for the future. 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. We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. Carter ended by asking for input from average citizens to help him devise an energy agenda for the 1980s. They want even higher prices than those we've proposed for "new" gas and oil, and they want the higher prices sooner. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy. But I think most of you realize that a policy which does not ask for changes or sacrifices would not be an effective policy at this late date. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent o Meanwhile, although we have large petroleum supplies of our own and most of them don't, we in the United States have increased our imports more than 40 percent. I've given you some of the principles of the plan. The oil and natural gas that we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are simply running out. We can drift along for a few more years. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. Our Nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. And it will get worse every day until we act. Tonight, at this crucial time, I want to emphasize why it is so important that we have an energy plan and what we will risk, as a nation, if we are timid or reluctant to face this challenge. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nation's energy crisis and accompanying recession. It will demand that we make sacrifices and changes in every life. March 9, 1977: Remarks at President Carter's Press Conference. But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources--America's people, America's values, and America's confidence. Our national energy plan is based on 10 fundamental principles. And then I left Camp David to listen to other Americans, men and women like you. 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. - Jimmy Carter, Energy Address to the Nation, April 18, 1977. It has been an extraordinary 10 days, and I want to share with you what I've heard. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. But sometime in the 1980's, it can't go up any more. If they succeed with this approach, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing. 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. 12874 Into Law," November 4, 1978. We ourselves are the same Americans who just 10 years ago put a man on the Moon. That is the concept of the energy policy that we will present on Wednesday. The Congress is facing very difficult decisions, courageously, and we've formed a good partnership. We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. We have the ability to administer the new energy legislation, and congressional work on the National Energy Plan has now reached the final stage. Carter then launched into his energy policy plans, which included the implementation of mandatory conservation efforts for individuals and businesses and deep cuts in the nations dependence on foreign oil through import quotas. 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. Demand will overtake production. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. These are the goals that we set for 1985: These are serious problems, and this has been a serious talk. 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. The former . ", And this one from a labor leader got to the heart of it: "The real issue is freedom. President Jimmy Carter delivered this speech on July 15, 1979, exactly three years after accepting the nomination of the Democratic Party to run for president. 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. 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. Many groups have risen to the challenge. Unless we act, we will spend more than $550 billion for imported oil by 1985more than $2,500 for every man, woman, and child in America. One choice, of course, is to continue doing what we've been doing before. 4 min read. Surprising viewers, who were expecting a laundry list of proposals to deal with the energy crisis, Carter took a different tack. During the 1960's, we used twice as much as during the 1950's. They made possible the age of automobile and airplane travel. These are the purposes of the new energy legislation. We are at a turning point in our history. 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. Moreover, I will soon submit legislation to Congress calling for the creation of this Nation's first solar bank, which will help us achieve the crucial goal of 20 percent of our energy coming from solar power by the year 2000. Now the energy proposal that I made to Congress last April has three basic elements to ensure that it is well balanced. We must look back into history to understand our energy problem. We've always been proud, through our history, of being efficient people. He also admitted that part of the problem was his failure to provide strong leadership on many issues, particularly energy and oil consumption. He also pledged a massive commitment of funds and resources to develop alternative fuel sources including coal, plant products and solar power. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our Nation. --to use solar energy in more than 2 1/2 million houses. We can't substantially increase our domestic production, so we would need to import twice as much oil as we do now. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. Our energy problems have the same cause as our environmental problems-wasteful use of resources. First, it's fair both to the American consumers and to the energy producers, and it will not disrupt our national economy. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Previous. In it, Carter singled out a pervasive "crisis of confidence" preventing the American people from moving the country forward. 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. He outlined the creation of a solar bank that he said would eventually supply 20 percent of the nations energy. The ninth principle is that we must conserve the fuels that are scarcest and make the most of those that are plentiful. We are only Cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. current level; These are all controversial questions, and the congressional debates, as you can well imagine, are intense. We have more coal than any nation on Earth. It will be money well spent. 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. But you did not choose your elected officials simply to fill an office. 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. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. Although all countries could, of course, be more efficient, we are the worst offender. 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. If this trend continues, the excessive reliance on foreign oil could make the very security of our Nation increasingly dependent on uncertain energy supplies. It's always been easier to wait until the next year or the next term of office, to avoid political risk. They want greatly increased prices for "old" oil and gasenergy supplies which have already been discovered and which are being produced now. The American Presidency Project (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369). Never speak ill of the dead, the old saying goes, but Jimmy Carter, 98, still lives. 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." And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. In it, Carter singled out a pervasive "crisis of confidence" preventing the American people from moving the country forward. Carter prefaced his talk about. The energy crisis is real. They will endure. Obviously, this cannot continue. 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. They are the ones that we must provide for now. 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. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. We can take the first steps down that path as we begin to solve our energy problem. Our progress has been part of the living history of America, even the world. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation. Working together with our common faith we cannot fail. This excessive importing of foreign oil is a tremendous and rapidly increasing drain on our national economy. to use solar energy in more than 2 1/2 million houses. There should be only one test for this programwhether it will help our country. Supplies will be uncertain. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. Unless we act quickly, imports will continue to go up, and all the problems that I've just described will grow even worse. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. Now, I know that some of you may doubt that we face real energy shortages. The story of the human race is one of adapting to changing circumstances. National Energy Plan: Address to the Nation. Jimmy Carter, Address to the Nation on Energy, Transcript, Miller Center at University of Virginia, April 18, . We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. 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. 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. That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests ending in chaos and immobility. 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 Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oilnearly 10 times as much. This button displays the currently selected search type. The world now uses about 60 million barrels of oil a day, and demand increases each year about 5 percent. The intent of the event was to call attention to issues affecting read more, On July 15, 2006, the San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially releases Twttrlater changed to Twitterits short messaging service (SMS) for groups, to the public. This writer voted for Carter in 1976. Conservation is the quickest, cheapest, most practical source of energy. We will protect our environment. And the truth is that you cannot talk about economic problems now or in the future without talking about energy. Our biggest problem, however, is that we simply use too much and waste too much energy. The congressional conference committees are now considering changes in how electric power rates are set in order to discourage waste, to reward those who use less energy, and to encourage a change in the use of electricity to hours of the day when demand is low. In little more than two decades we've gone from a position of energy independence to one in which almost half the oil we use comes from foreign countries, at prices that are going through the roof. With every passing month, our energy problems have grown worse. Thereafter, I was so dismayed by his presidency that I betrayed my natal Democratic Party and voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980. One is a path I've warned about tonight, the path that leads to fragmentation and self-interest. These proposals would provide adequate incentives for exploration and production of domestic oil and gas, but some of the oil companies want much moretens of billions of dollars more. Embed. We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. The president was scheduled to deliver a speech on July 4 but canceled at the last minute. ", "Mr. President, we're in trouble. We've always been proud of our vision of the future. This from a young woman in Pennsylvania: "I feel so far from government. Those citizens who insist on driving large, unnecessarily powerful cars must expect to pay more for that luxury. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency . 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. ", And this from a young Chicano: "Some of us have suffered from recession all our lives. The nation is shocked when the President tells them to "put on a sweater" instead of turn up the heat (using energy and fuel). The fourth principle is that we must reduce our vulnerability to potentially devastating embargoes. This is not a contest of strength between the President and the Congress, nor between the House and the Senate. Die Hard also became read more, John Christie, one of Englands most notorious killers, is executed. To some degree, the sacrifices will be painful--but so is any meaningful sacrifice. But if we wait, we will constantly live in fear of embargoes. This is a special night for me. Democrat Jimmy Carter served as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. We can manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. 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. Carter prefaced his talk about energy policy with an explanation of why he believed the American economy remained in crisis. Although the energy crisis and recession were the main topics of conversation, Carter heard from the attendees that Americans were also suffering from a deeper moral and spiritual crisis. 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. But we still have another choice. 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. Working with Congress, we've now formed a new Department of Energy, headed by Secretary James Schlesinger. 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. We can't substantially increase our domestic production, so we would need to import twice as much oil as we do now. ", 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. "We can't go on consuming 40 percent more energy than we produce. 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 political pressures are great because the stakes are so high, billions and billions of dollars. There is something especially American in the kinds of changes that we have to make. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. Three-quarters of them would carry only one person--the driver--while our public transportation system continues to decline. Well, I understand how he felt, but I must tell you the truth. ; Carter went on to serve in the US Navy and was sworn in as president in 1977. 4. The statement marked a dramatic turning point in U.S.-China relations, as well as a major shift in American foreign policy. And third, it protects our Federal budget from any unreasonable burden. The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. All Rights Reserved. ", "You don't see the people enough any more. In 1979, America could still feel the effects of OPECs (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 1973 cuts in oil production. "Mr. President," he said, "I don't feel much like talking about energy and foreign policy. Vast amounts of American wealth no longer stay in the United States to build our factories and to give us a better life. . During the next few weeks, the Congress will make a judgment on these vital questions. ", This was a good one: "Be bold, Mr. President. Each American uses the energy equivalent of 60 barrels of oil per person each year. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. 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." A graduate of the U.S. Remember, you can't sell anything on Wall Street unless someone digs it up somewhere else first. It costs about $13 to waste it. State of the Union Address 1979. We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and our grandchildren. Our national security depends on more than just our Armed Forces; it also rests on the strength of our economy, on our national will, and on the ability of the United States to carry out our foreign policy as a free and independent nation. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. Unless we act, we will spend more than $550 billion for imported oil by 1985--more than $2,500 for every man, woman, and child in America. I'm sure that each of you will find something you don't like about the specifics of our proposal. Will Obama and his ilk learn the lessons of history? We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Our energy plan captures and returns them to the public, where they can stimulate the economy, save more energy, and create new jobs.