President Obama on Energy

From President Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress.
February 24, 2009

"It begins with energy.

We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries made in Korea.

Well I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It is time for America to lead again.

Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We have also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history – an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology.

We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.

But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.

As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.

None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward."

Who's Resurrecting the Electric Car?

Big Oil and manufacturing interests may have killed the electric car in the early 1990s, but one major automaker promises to revive the idea -- and produce a fully electric car -- within a decade.

Reuters reports that Audi, the luxury unit of Volkswagen, sees great opportunities in electric cars and will offer automobiles with no exhaust emissions. Developing fuel-saving technology tops the agenda of Germany's car industry in an effort to fulfill stricter emission regulations and conserve fuel.

The race to build a reliable electric automobile is on: BMW has said it would decide this year whether to build an electric vehicle, while U.S. carmaker General Motors plans to roll out its Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car in 2010.

Concord Monitor Publishes Karpinski's Letter

On Friday, New Hampshire's Concord Monitor published a letter to the editor by LCV President Gene Karpinski. It says:

"Each year, the League of Conservation Voters publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which scores the voting records of members of Congress on environmental legislation. The newly released 2007 scorecard highlights the much-needed new direction that Congress has pursued on environmental issues. Among the victories in 2007 was the passage of the first increase in fuel efficiency standards in 32 years, a vital first step to a clean energy future.
New Hampshire's House delegation had an average of 95 percent, one of the highest House averages in Congress. We applaud Democratic Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter for their impressive respective scores of 100 and 90 percent. Their commitment to reducing global warming pollution and bringing about a clean energy future enabled progress in 2007. We look forward to continuing to work with them to make even more progress in the upcoming session.

Unfortunately we are dismayed at the poor score of 53 percent that Republican Sen. John Sununu received. He continues to cater to corporate interests and policies of pollution. We urge him to improve for the sake of his electorate and the planet.

You can find more info on the Scorecard at lcv.org/scorecard. "