OIL FOR THE LAMPS

February 4, 2006 - The President unveiled a bold new energy policy designed to achieve energy independence within 20 years. The policy combines conservation, alternative fuels, renewable energy sources as well as an increased reliance on solar energy to wean America away from its addiction to OPEC’s oil.

“First, I have ordered the preparation and submission to Congress of a bill creating a federally chartered private corporation to develop alternative energy sources to imported oil, such as synthetic liquid fuels. This corporation can be just as successful as the corporation the United States established in World War II to produce synthetic rubber. It will be funded at a multi-billion dollar level. It will accelerate our ability to turn our plentiful domestic resources -- such as coal, crops and organic products -- into gasoline and alcohol.

“Second, we will accelerate the development and use of coal, unconventional oil and gas resources such as geopressurized methane, Eastern shales, tar sands, and heavy crude oils.

“We have already tripled our investment in solar energy and I have set a goal of using solar energy for twenty percent of our energy within the next twenty years.

“Third, I have ordered the development of a massive new conservation program to increase, on a greatly accelerated basis, the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings.

“Fourth, I will seek the rapid creation of an Energy Mobilization Board, modeled on the War Production Board of World War II, to cut through the red tape and delays that are holding up crucial energy projects such as pipelines and refineries.

“The details of these crucial projects will be hammered our [sic] in close consultation with the Congress. They will be submitted during the course of the next month. Congress has so far failed to deal with the oil imports problem. This inaction must now end.

“Because these programs are central to long-term success in the battle for energy security, they must be put in place without delay.

“These steps will be expensive. But unlike the billions we pay to OPEC, the costs of regaining our energy security will be paid by Americans to Americans. We will be creating jobs, not exporting our dollars overseas.

We will be counteracting recession -- not fueling it. We will be attacking one of the root causes of our inflation -- not increasing it. It will be money well spent.”

http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/articles/202

The President was not named Bush. The President for whom this speech was written was James Earl Carter. The speech was intended to have been delivered July 5, 1979 but events overtook the crisis and it was not given. This President Bush has rediscovered the energy crisis and America’s addiction to petroleum, His Energy Department tells us that the section of the State of the Union is not to be taken literally; that the President was speaking metaphorically when he promised that we would reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 75%.

We don’t have time for metaphor. If America does not act and act soon then we will all be there when the lights go out. Will we wait around for another 25 years for another President to tell us that there is not enough oil left to light the lamps