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 . . 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. 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. 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." It will lead to some higher costs and to some greater inconvenience for everyone. It's crucial that you understand how serious this challenge is. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent of war" and called on Americans to conserve energy. 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 . I'll read just a few. We are at a turning point in our history. We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. Within 10 years, we would not be able to import enough oil from any country, at any acceptable price. We are the generation that dedicated our society to the pursuit of human rights and equality. Primary Source: Jimmy Carter, "Crisis of Confidence" (1979) So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. Embed. Surprising viewers, who were expecting a laundry list of proposals to deal with the energy crisis, Carter took a different tack. History of Solar Power - IER Thereafter, I was so dismayed by his presidency that I betrayed my natal Democratic Party and voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980. I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. Jimmy Carter speaks about a national "crisis in confidence" 4 min read. They are the ones who will suffer most if we don't act. Carter also addresses his ideas to improve the economy and reduce the size of government. - Jimmy Carter, Energy Address to the Nation, April 18, 1977. President Jimmy Carter (b. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. They want greatly increased prices for "old" oil and gasenergy supplies which have already been discovered and which are being produced now. This has already started. The productivity of American workers is actually dropping, and the willingness of Americans to save for the future has fallen below that of all other people in the Western world. Play Video. We've always wanted to give our children and our grandchildren a world richer in possibilities than we have had ourselves. Our people are losing that faith, not only in government itself but in the ability as citizens to serve as the ultimate rulers and shapers of our democracy. 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. Carter address's the crisis of confidence in America, but tells Americans to first begin addressing problems by addressing the energy crisis within their home. In spite of increased effort, domestic production has been dropping steadily at about 6 percent a year. 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. 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. I will be working closely with them. I can't tell you that these measures will be easy, nor will they be popular. They made possible the age of automobile and airplane travel. To some degree, the sacrifices will be painfulbut so is any meaningful sacrifice. 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. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). How does Carter link the energy crisis to a crisis of the American spirit? Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals: 'The Malaise Speech,'" July 15, 1979. It will be money well spent. 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. We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. 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 need to shift to plentiful coal, while taking care to protect the environment, and to apply stricter safety standards to nuclear energy. All of us have heard about the large oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. Imports have doubled in the last 5 years. Former President Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.), was the 39 th president of the United States, serving from 1977-1981. One choice, of course, is to continue doing what we've been doing before. 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. Jimmy Carter: "Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978 Statement on Signing H.R. 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. Jimmy Carter the president, and Habitat volunteer | Education | city Our Nation's economic and political independence is becoming increasingly vulnerable. At one point, he talked about the possibility of read more, The critically acclaimed 2002 biopic Walk The Line depicts the life and career of Johnny Cash from his initial rise to stardom in the 1950s to his resurgence following a drug-fueled decline in the 1960s. We have the world's highest level of technology. I know that many of you have suspected that some supplies of oil and gas are being withheld from the market. We could endanger our freedom as a sovereign nation to act in foreign affairs. Just since April, our oil imports have cost us $23 billionabout $350 worth of foreign oil for the average American family. We can decide to act while there is still time. Extra to study for big quiz- history Flashcards | Quizlet We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. 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. ", And this is one of the most vivid statements: "Our neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has a knife. The gap between our citizens and our Government has never been so wide. Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. 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 . It costs about $13 to waste it. And above all, I will act. We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered what became known as his "Crisis of Confidence" or "malaise" speech to the American public on national television. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. Good evening. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. 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. Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in the farming community of Plains, Georgia. --to insulate 90 percent of American homes and all new buildings; ", "We've got to use what we have. On July 15, 1979, amid stagnant economic growth, high inflation, and an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter delivered a televised address to the American people. All rights reserved. The third principle is that we must protect the environment. The president was scheduled to deliver a speech on July 4 but canceled at the last minute. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. These are facts and we simply must face them: What I have to say to you now about energy is simple and vitally important. Note: The President spoke at 8 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. With this new policy, the gross income of gas producers would average about $2 billion each year more than at the present price level. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. All of us in Government need your help. No one will gain an unfair advantage through this plan. There, in the next few weeks, the strength and courage of our political system will be proven. 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. read more. 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. 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. 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. This is the direct cause of the long lines which have made millions of you spend aggravating hours waiting for gasoline. Some will cause you to put up with inconveniences and to make sacrifices. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. During the 1960's, we used twice as much as during the 1950's. 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. An effective conservation program will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The oil and natural gas that we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are simply running out. We've always been proud of our vision of the future. And you are also deeply involved in these decisions. Danny De Gracia: What Hawaii Legislators Can Learn From Jimmy Carter Our emphasis on conservation is a clear difference between this plan and others which merely encouraged crash production efforts. Carter prefaced his talk about energy policy with an explanation of why he believed the American economy remained in crisis. Thank you very much, and good night. We always believed that we were part of a great movement of humanity itself called democracy, involved in the search for freedom, and that belief has always strengthened us in our purpose. ", And I like this one particularly from a black woman who happens to be the mayor of a small Mississippi town: "The big-shots are not the only ones who are important. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. The choices facing the Members of Congress are not easy. "Mr. President," he said, "I don't feel much like talking about energy and foreign policy. If we do not act, then by 1985 we will be using 33 percent more energy than we use today. I'm sure that each of you will find something you don't like about the specifics of our proposal. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. I have faith that meeting this challenge will make our own lives even richer. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. By acting now we can control our future instead of letting the future control us. Jimmy Carter's Energy Policy Legacy 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. The world has not prepared for the future. The question is, who should benefit from those rising prices for oil already discovered? 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.". We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. We simply must have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this Nation. During the 1950's, people used twice as much oil as during the 1940's. This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. Good evening. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. 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. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. But you did not choose your elected officials simply to fill an office. 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. Jimmy Carter Has 'Still Got Some Time In Him,' So There's Still Time to Speak Ill of Him. Every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of production. Never speak ill of the dead, the old saying goes, but Jimmy Carter, 98, still lives. And then I left Camp David to listen to other Americans, men and women like you. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. This difficult effort will be the "moral equivalent of war," except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not to destroy. Point six: I'm proposing a bold conservation program to involve every State, county, and city and every average American in our energy battle. Cunanan had no criminal record before the spring of 1997, when he began a killing read more, During a live television and radio broadcast, President Richard Nixon stuns the nation by announcing that he will visit communist China the following year. Ten days ago I had planned to speak to you again about a very important subject--energy. The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. Conservation is the only way that we can buy a barrel of oil for about $2. These quotas will ensure a reduction in imports even below the ambitious levels we set at the recent Tokyo summit. The nation is shocked when the President tells them to "put on a sweater" instead of turn up the heat (using energy and fuel).