I invited to Camp David people from almost every segment of our society--business and labor, teachers and preachers, Governors, mayors, and private citizens. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. ", "There will be other cartels and other shortages. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. But you did not choose your elected officials simply to fill an office. It makes it harder for us to balance our Federal budget and to finance needed programs for our people. Why have we not been able to get together as a nation to resolve our serious energy problem? I hope that each of you will take steps to conserve our precious energy and also join with your elected officials at all levels of government to meet this test of our Nation's judgment and will. read more. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). We can continue using scarce oil and natural gas to generate electricity and continue wasting two-thirds of their fuel value in the process. Jimmy Carter, Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals: "The Malaise Speech" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/249458, The American Presidency ProjectJohn Woolley and Gerhard PetersContact, Copyright The American Presidency ProjectTerms of Service | Privacy | Accessibility, Saturday Weekly Addresses (Radio and Webcast) (1639), State of the Union Written Messages (140). The third principle is that we must protect the environment. The gap between our citizens and our Government has never been so wide. Obviously, this cannot continue. The American Presidency Project (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369). In closing, let me say this: I will do my best, but I will not do it alone. With every passing month, our energy problems have grown worse. Now, I know that some of you may doubt that we face real energy shortages. The . Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. We have more oil in our shale alone than several Saudi Arabias. Too few of our utility companies will have switched to coal, which is our most abundant energy source. The 1973 gas lines are gone, and with this springtime weather, our homes are warm again. Every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of 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. 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. ", "Don't talk to us about politics or the mechanics of government, but about an understanding of our common good. President Jimmy Carter (b. Confidence has defined our course and has served as a link between generations. We can take the first steps down that path as we begin to solve our energy problem. President Carter speaks to the American people about the importance of an energy policy that focuses on conservation of the nation's natural resources and a new energy department. Let me quote a few of the typical comments that I wrote down. Ten days ago I had planned to speak to you again about a very important subject--energy. 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 are facts and we simply must face them: What I have to say to you now about energy is simple and vitally important. Copyright 2023. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent of war" and called on Americans to conserve . These are the goals that we set for 1985: Our imports have more than tripled in the last 10 years. Every $5 billion increase in oil imports costs us 200,000 American jobs. We know the strength of America. Carter quoted one of the Camp David meeting participants as saying that Americas neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has a knife. In addition, inflation had reached an all-time high during Carters term. The ninth principle is that we must conserve the fuels that are scarcest and make the most of those that are plentiful. Jimmy Carter: "Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978 Statement on Signing H.R. The president was scheduled to deliver a speech on July 4 but canceled at the last minute. One choice, of course, is to continue doing what we've been doing before. We ourselves are the same Americans who just 10 years ago put a man on the Moon. Jimmy Carter, Address to the Nation on Energy Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/243395, The American Presidency ProjectJohn Woolley and Gerhard PetersContact, Copyright The American Presidency ProjectTerms of Service | Privacy | Accessibility, Saturday Weekly Addresses (Radio and Webcast) (1639), State of the Union Written Messages (140). This from a southern Governor: "Mr. President, you are not leading this Nation you're just managing the Government. Naval Academy, he served in the submarine corps just after World War II. Previous. --to use solar energy in more than 2 1/2 million houses. Forty years ago tonight, President Jimmy Carter delivered his Address to the Nation on National Energy Policy, better known as the "Moral Equivalent of War" speech. State of the Union Address 1979. He outlined a plan to tackle the crisis . Imports have doubled in the last 5 years. You don't like it, and neither do I. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. We simply must have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this Nation. But our energy problem is worse tonight than it was in 1973 or a few weeks ago in the dead of winter. It costs about $13 to waste it. Pike was instructed to seek out headwaters of the Arkansas and Red rivers and to investigate read more, Spree killer Andrew Cunanan murders world-renowned Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace on the steps outside his Miami mansion. More than 6 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. 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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. And this year we may spend $45 billion. We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Embed. Above all, they will be fair. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. 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. No one will be asked to bear an unfair burden. The statement marked a dramatic turning point in U.S.-China relations, as well as a major shift in American foreign policy. All rights reserved. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly. This is a special night for me. Our children who will be born this year will come of age in the 21st century. Carter, who after the presidency would teach Sunday School, tried to rally the public to have faith in the future of America. Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in the farming community of Plains, Georgia. Conservation helps us solve both problems at once. During the past 3 years I've spoken to you on many occasions about national concerns, the energy crisis, reorganizing the Government, our Nation's economy, and issues of war and especially peace. The selection of this time span made perfect sense from a Hollywood read more, On July 15, 1988, Die Hard, an action film starring Bruce Willis as wisecracking New York City cop John McClane, opens in theaters across the United States. This has already started. And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. Carter also addresses his ideas to improve the economy and reduce the size of government. That path leads to true freedom for our Nation and ourselves. We respected the Presidency as a place of honor until the shock of Watergate. We remember when the phrase "sound as a dollar" was an expression of absolute dependability, until 10 years of inflation began to shrink our dollar and our savings. 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. If they succeed with this approach, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing. A year later, Ronald Reagan would frame his optimistic . And then I left Camp David to listen to other Americans, men and women like you. We have no choice about that. This from a young woman in Pennsylvania: "I feel so far from government. The political pressures are great because the stakes are so high, billions and billions of dollars. Restoring that faith and that confidence to America is now the most important task we face. We will protect our environment. Tonight, at this crucial time, I want to emphasize why it is so important that we have an energy plan and what we will risk, as a nation, if we are timid or reluctant to face this challenge. 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. Born as a side project apart from Odeos main podcasting platform, the free application allowed users read more, The unmanned spacecraft Mariner 4 passes over Mars at an altitude of 6,000 feet and sends back to Earth the first close-up images of the red planet. ", This was a good one: "Be bold, Mr. President. We have no choice about that. Supplies will be uncertain. The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will.