The Energy State of the Union message.
This is a short interpretation of the President’s State of the Union message as it pertains to energy.
First the speech:
After years of talking about it, we are finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years. We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it. We produce more natural gas than ever before – and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it. And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen.
But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods – all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.
The good news is, we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.
Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it. We’ve begun to change that. Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. So let’s generate even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – so let’s drive costs down even further. As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we.
In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits. But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.
Indeed, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together. So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we. Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long. I’m also issuing a new goal for America: let’s cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years. The states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make it happen.
And now for the interpretation:
“After years of talking about it, we are finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years.”
Thanks to drilling leases approved under the Bush administration we produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years.
“ We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it. “
We are requiring future cars to double the driving distance on a gallon of gas by making them smaller and lighter. We have also doubled the amount of renewable energy from sources like solar and wind – from half a percent to a full percent of our energy need at a cost of over half a million dollar per job created.
“We produce more natural gas than ever before – and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it.”
Thanks to fracking, done nearly exclusively on private land in spite of the efforts of the EPA we produce more natural gas than ever before driving down the cost of natural gas.
“And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen.”
Over the last four years our emissions of the dangerous carbon dioxide have actually fallen, but because of the increase in carbon dioxide the world can now feed two billion people more. Without this increase there would be mass starvation and death in the developing countries. The goal is population control according to Agenda 21, and increased levels of CO2 interferes with outr plans.
“But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.”
Our children are now facing a national debt of more than sixteen trillion dollars, in no small part by tilting at windmills.
“Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15.”
Thanks to the fact that we have put weather stations on airports, on paved surfaces and in places of rapid land use changes, the measured temperatures have shown 12 of the last 15 years have been the hottest on record. It is true that urban heat islands show an increase, but temperature records for weather stations in undisturbed areas show a slight decrease.
Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods – all are now more frequent and intense.
The raging wildfires of 2012 were less than average.
The crippling drought of 2012 was less severe than the 30’s dust bowl. Remember “The Grapes of Wrath”.
Tornadoes numbered about 30% less than normal and we broke a record for consecutive days without a death from a tornado.
The number of hurricanes and their severity is down.
“We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.”
Contrary to popular opinion Superstorm Sandy was an early warning of a new little ice age.
Storms are formed and driven mostly from temperature differences. The worst storm recorded on the Eastern seaboard was not Sandy. The headlines claimed the storm surge that hit the U.S. east coast during Sandy was unprecedented, and was caused by global warming. It is my contention that a more likely scenario is that it is an early warning of global cooling.
There have been two storm surges on the east coast larger than hurricane Sandy’s. They occurred in the years 1635 and 1638. Ship logs from the 1600’s also show storms were more violent during the little Ice Age. It got so cold that in 1658 the Swedish Army crossed the Great Belt in Denmark and sacked Copenhagen. The Great Belt is now nearly always ice-free.
“The good news is, we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago.”
A few years ago John McCain and Joe Lieberman were hoodwinked into believing the IPCC panel political summaries of impending gloom. They keep scaling back their predictions since we have not have any significant increase in temperature the last 16 years while CO2 concentrations continue to increase.
“But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will.”
I will bypass congress and use the EPA to issue crippling regulations.
“ I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution,”
I will direct my Cabinet to make new coal-fired power plant unprofitable
“prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change,”
Our communities will be beaten into submission
“and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”
We will continue to tilt at windmills and solar panels controlled by China, but not Nuclear Energy.
“Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it.”
Four years ago Spain went green and the unemployment rate went from 9% to 21% in just a year. It is now 26%
“We’ve begun to change that. Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America.”
Thanks to making new coal-fired plants almost impossible wind energy contributed nearly half to all increase in capacity last year – almost enough to allow the economy to grow by half a percent.
“So let’s generate even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – so let’s drive costs down even further.”
Solar energy has long been the most expensive way to produce energy. Without subsidies the cost used to be more than 30 c/kWh. With subsidies we can drive the cost down all the way to 17 c/kWh.
“ As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we.”
The most drastic step we have done so far is to outsource manufacturing, mostly to China. In so doing we have actually decreased our energy use while China’s is doubled, and China is now using 50% more energy than the U.S. In addition, nearly half of all coal used in the world is burned in China. Not only that, China’s coal is of the soft, brown, dirty coal variety. It is so bad that Beijing now has the highest air pollution in the world. The soot clouds are carried by the prevailing westerly winds up into the Arctic.
“In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.”
My Administration will cut red tape and begin by opening up the Arctic Wildlife Preserve to exploration.
“But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.”
Next to Hydrogen, natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel available
“Indeed, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together.”
A true energy hero, Governor Sarah Palin stood up to the Big Oil companies and instituted an oil depletion tax that was progressive, up to 70%, which she distributed to the people of Alaska rather than increasing the size of Government. Her approval rating peaked at 93%. I would like to duplicate that.
“So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good.”
Nah, instead of that I propose tonight we institute a crippling tax on trucks and cars to finally force them off using gas and diesel fuel.
“If a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we.”
We cannot let a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals do this. This is a job for Big Government.
“Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long.”
Let us follow the example of Europe. Their gas prices are about eight dollars a gallon. A spike of another dollar or two would no longer matter,
“I’m also issuing a new goal for America: let’s cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years.”
I propose we install smart energy meters and relays that lets us decide if you deserve air conditioning or not, or if you can run the clothes dryer in the afternoon before you go out at night.
“The states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make it happen.”
Everybody knows that union states have the best ideas to preserve jobs, so let us promote that.
There were other gems in his speech, but this will suffice for now.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 