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It will lead to some higher costs and to some greater inconvenience for everyone. Our imports have more than tripled in the last 10 years. They want even higher prices than those we've proposed for "new" gas and oil, and they want the higher prices sooner. The third principle is that we must protect the environment. I've given you some of the principles of the plan. Our solutions must ask equal sacrifices from every region, every class of people, and every interest group. November 08, 1977. I invited to Camp David people from almost every segment of our society--business and labor, teachers and preachers, Governors, mayors, and private citizens. To jumpstart this program, Carter asked Congress to form an energy mobilization board modeled after the War Production Board of World War II, and asked the legislature to enact a windfall profits tax immediately to fight inflation and unemployment. 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. 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. Demand will overtake production. 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. I will be working closely with them. 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. Along with that money that we transport overseas, we will continue losing American jobs and become increasingly vulnerable to supply interruptions. Our national energy plan is based on 10 fundamental principles. Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oil--nearly 10 times as much. Working with Congress, we've now formed a new Department of Energy, headed by Secretary James Schlesinger. Politics, Carter said, was full of corruption, inefficiency and evasiveness; he claimed these problems grew out of a deeper, fundamental threat to American democracy. He was not referring to challenges to civil liberties or the countrys political structure or military prowess, however, but to what he called a crisis of confidence that led to domestic turmoil and the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation., At a time when Europeans and the Japanese began out-producing the U.S. in energy-efficient automobiles and some other advanced technologies, Carter said that Americans had lost faith in being the worlds leader in progress. He claimed that Americans' obsession with self-indulgence and material goods had trumped spiritualism and community values. National Energy Plan: Address to the Nation. What are his proposed solutions? Confidence in the future has supported everything else--public institutions and private enterprise, our own families, and the very Constitution of the United States. April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy. The world now uses about 60 million barrels of oil a day, and demand increases each year about 5 percent. By acting now we can control our future instead of letting the future control us. We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. 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 The strength we need will not come from the White House, but from every house in America.". ", "We've got to use what we have. There is simply no way to avoid sacrifice. The people are looking for honest answers, not easy answers; clear leadership, not false claims and evasiveness and politics as usual. 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. I feel like ordinary people are excluded from political power. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency . 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. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. He outlined a plan to tackle the crisis . His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. It costs about $13 to waste it. Three-quarters of them would carry only one person--the driver--while our public transportation system continues to decline. But our energy problem is worse tonight than it was in 1973 or a few weeks ago in the dead of winter. We will monitor the accuracy of data from the oil and natural gas companies for the first time, so that we will always know their true production, supplies, reserves, and profits. We've always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. 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. The fourth principle is that we must reduce our vulnerability to potentially devastating embargoes. 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. 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. This from a young woman in Pennsylvania: "I feel so far from government. 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 . 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. We are only cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. Although journalists and historians say the address ultimately undermined his presidency, the Democratic candidates vying to challenge President Trump in 2020 have much to learn from Carter's . And above all, I will act. The 1973 gas lines are gone, and with this springtime weather, our homes are warm again. This has already started. This problem has come upon us suddenly. It's clear that the true problems of our Nation are much deeperdeeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. But we do have a choice about how we will spend the next few years. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. READ MORE: Jimmy Carter: His Life and Legacy, Jimmy Carter speaks about a national crisis in confidence, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jimmy-carter-speaks-about-a-national-crisis-in-confidence. 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. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. ", "There will be other cartels and other shortages. 4 min read. ", 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. ", "Some people have wasted energy, but others haven't had anything to waste. Copyright 2023. 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. If we wait and do not act, then our factories will not be able to keep our people on the job with reduced supplies of fuel. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. The second change took. This from a southern Governor: "Mr. President, you are not leading this Nation you're just managing the Government. 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. 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. Our consumption of oil would keep going up every 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. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nations energy crisis and accompanying recession. We have no choice about that. You can help me to develop a national agenda for the 1980's. They are the ones who will suffer most if we don't act. 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. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning. 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. America overseas is only as strong as America at home. We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. We will monitor the accuracy of data from the oil and natural gas companies for the first time, so that we will always know their true production, supplies, reserves, and profits. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent of war" and called on Americans to conserve energy. If they succeed with this approach, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing. He had earned it. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. More than six 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. It costs us business investments. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. Our Nation's economic and political independence is becoming increasingly vulnerable. The Congress has recognized the urgency of this problem and has come to grips . A year later, Ronald Reagan would frame his optimistic . 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 Good evening. But sometime in the 1980's, it can't go up any more. Our Nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. They want lower taxes on their profits. 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. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next 5 years will be worse than the past 5 years. to reduce gasoline consumption by 10 percent below its. Unless we act quickly, imports will continue to go up, and all the problems that I've just described will grow even worse. The gap between our citizens and our Government has never been so wide. 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. 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. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. . And it will get worse every day until we act. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. 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. The American Presidency Project (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369). I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. I'm convinced that we can have enough energy to permit the continued growth of our economy, to expand production and jobs, and to protect the security of the United Statesif we act wisely. By acting now we can control our future instead of letting the future control us. 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. And you are also deeply involved in these decisions. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. We have the natural resources. 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. It is the idea which founded our Nation and has guided our development as a people. We need to shift to plentiful coal, while taking care to protect the environment, and to apply stricter safety standards to nuclear energy. 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. But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources--America's people, America's values, and America's confidence. The choices facing the Members of Congress are not easy. On January 14, 1981, President Jimmy Carter delivered a farewell address to the nation, thanking his staff and the American people for the opportunity to serve, warning about the continuing threat . We must face an unpleasant fact about energy prices. There should be only one test for this programwhether it will help our country. 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. But if we fail to act boldly today, then we will surely face a greater series of crises tomorrowenergy shortages, environmental damage, ever more massive Government bureaucracy and regulations, and illconsidered, last-minute crash programs. On July 15, 1979, amid stagnant economic growth, high inflation, and an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter delivered a televised address to the American people. We are only Cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. It will lead to some higher costs and to some greater inconvenience for everyone. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. 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." This change became the basis of the Industrial Revolution. During the subsequent campaign, Goldwater said that he thought the United States should do whatever was necessary to win in Vietnam. ", And the last that I'll read: "When we enter the moral equivalent of war, Mr. President, don't issue us BB guns.". We will use research and development projects, tax incentives and penalties, and regulatory authority to hasten the shift from oil and gas to coal, to wind and solar power, to geothermal, methane, and other energy sources. The Congress has recognized the urgency of this problem and has come to grips with some of the most complex and difficult decisions that a legislative body has ever been asked to make. We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. There should be only one test for this program--whether it will help our country. James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American retired politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Obviously, this cannot continue. They were more convenient and cheaper than coal, and the supply seemed to be almost without limit. Copyright 2023. Address to the Nation on Energy | The American Presidency Project Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States: 1977 1981 Address to the Nation on Energy April 18, 1977 Good evening. In 1979, America could still feel the effects of OPECs (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 1973 cuts in oil production. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Jimmy Carter, the only Georgian to serve as president, was born in Plains on Oct. 1, 1924, to Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Carter, a. These were the promises I made 3 years ago, and I intend to keep them. 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 . Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States: 1977 1981 Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals: "The Malaise Speech" July 15, 1979 Good evening. But I'm confident that we can find the wisdom and the courage to make the right decisionseven when they are unpleasantso that we might, together, preserve the greatness of our Nation. We need to shift to plentiful coal, while taking care to protect the environment, and to apply stricter safety standards to nuclear energy. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent o I do not promise you that this struggle for freedom will be easy. 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. We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. The third principle is that we must protect the environment. World oil production can probably keep going up for another 6 or 8 years. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. And I realize more than ever that as President I need your help. The Congress is facing very difficult decisions, courageously, and we've formed a good partnership. 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; He puts forth several initiatives to push the nation towards greater.