All of us have heard about the large oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. You can help me to develop a national agenda for the 1980's. President Jimmy Carter - Address to the Nation on Energy - YouTube 0:00 / 4:35 President Jimmy Carter - Address to the Nation on Energy MCamericanpresident 10.4K subscribers Subscribe 830. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. What you see too often in Washington and elsewhere around the country is a system of government that seems incapable of action. And we are the generation that will win the war on the energy problem and in that process rebuild the unity and confidence of America. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. This button displays the currently selected search type. Iran hostage crisis In little more than two decades we've gone from a position of energy independence to one in which almost half the oil we use comes from foreign countries, at prices that are going through the roof. The statement marked a dramatic turning point in U.S.-China relations, as well as a major shift in American foreign policy. We need to shift to plentiful coal, while taking care to protect the environment, and to apply stricter safety standards to nuclear energy. A year later, Ronald Reagan would frame his optimistic . Then I became upstate New York chairman of Democrats for Reagan in 1984. They want even higher prices than those we've proposed for "new" gas and oil, and they want the higher prices sooner. 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. We could endanger our freedom as a sovereign nation to act in foreign affairs. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others. Jimmy Carter - Key Events | Miller Center We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. There is something especially American in the kinds of changes that we have to make. He outlined the creation of a solar bank that he said would eventually supply 20 percent of the nations energy. And I'm asking you for your good and for your Nation's security to take no unnecessary trips, to use carpools or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, to obey the speed limit, and to set your thermostats to save fuel. The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce demand through conservation. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge that our country will face during our lifetime. On July 15, 1918, near the Marne River in the Champagne region of France, the Germans begin what would be their final offensive push of World War I. It's crucial that you understand how serious this challenge is. 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 . Launched in November 1964, Mariner 4 carried a television camera and six other science instruments to study Mars and interplanetary read more, Zebulon Pike, the U.S. Army officer who in 1805 led an exploring party in search of the source of the Mississippi River, sets off with a new expedition to explore the American Southwest. Unlike the billions of dollars that we ship to foreign countries to pay for foreign oil, these funds will be paid by Americans to Americans. 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. We were sure that ours was a nation of the ballot, not the bullet, until the murders of John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. We were taught that our armies were always invincible and our causes were always just, only to suffer the agony of Vietnam. 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. 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. 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. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. It is worldwide. But sometime in the 1980's, it can't go up any more. And it will get worse every day until we act. Beginning this moment, this Nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977--never. 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. The German general read more, Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona) is nominated by the Republican Party to run for president. Looking for a way out of this crisis, our people have turned to the Federal Government and found it isolated from the mainstream of our Nation's life. Each American uses the energy equivalent of 60 barrels of oil per person each year. Die Hard also became read more, John Christie, one of Englands most notorious killers, is executed. We waste more energy than we import. Now we need efficiency and ingenuity more than ever. We can decide to act while there is still time. Jimmy Carter and the Energy Crisis that Never Happened We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Four months earlier, on March 25, the police and a tenant at 10 Rillington Place in West London made an awful discovery: the bodies of four women in an empty apartment, three in a hidden cupboard and one more read more, On July 15, 1903, the newly formed Ford Motor Company takes its first order from Chicago dentist Ernst Pfenning: an $850 two-cylinder Model A automobile with a tonneau (or backseat). Our fathers and mothers were strong men and women who shaped a new society during the Great Depression, who fought world wars, and who carved out a new charter of peace for the world. This has already started. Now the energy proposal that I made to Congress last April has three basic elements to ensure that it is well balanced. Our plan will call for strict conservation measures if we fall behind. In April 1977, under the dark cloud of the energy crisis, President Jimmy Carter told the nation that the difficult effort needed to move beyond the shortages and high prices of that era "will be the moral equivalent of war.". On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nations energy crisis and accompanying recession. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. Jimmy Carter and the Meaning of Malaise - JSTOR Daily He recounted a meeting he had hosted at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, with leaders in the fields of business, labor, education, politics and religion. But as I was preparing to speak, I began to ask myself the same question that I now know has been troubling many of you. From now on, every new addition to our demand for energy will be met from our own production and our own conservation. We are strong. The people are looking for honest answers, not easy answers; clear leadership, not false claims and evasiveness and politics as usual. The Congress is facing very difficult decisions, courageously, and we've formed a good partnership. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 sent energy prices soaring, and four years later, the impacts were still rippling through the economy. . I've given you some of the principles of the plan. With about the same standard of living, we use twice as much energy per person as do other countries like Germany, Japan, and Sweden. They are going up, whether we pass an energy program or not, as fuel becomes more scarce and more expensive to produce. Several of our discussions were on energy, and I have a notebook full of comments and advice. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. producers deserve fair treatment, but we will not let the oil companies profiteer. Although all countries could, of course, be more efficient, we are the worst offender. We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and our grandchildren. We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. to reduce the annual growth rate in our energy demand to less than 2 percent; And now we have a chance again to give the world a positive example. We've always been proud of our ingenuity, our skill at answering questions. Conservation is the only way that we can buy a barrel of oil for about $2. History of Solar Power - IER The first principle is that we can have an effective and comprehensive energy policy only if the Government takes responsibility for it and if the people understand the seriousness of the challenge and are willing to make sacrifices. They want greatly increased prices for "old" oil and gasenergy supplies which have already been discovered and which are being produced now. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. In it, Carter singled out a pervasive "crisis of confidence" preventing the American people from moving the country forward. We must face an unpleasant fact about energy prices. 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. Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. We've always been proud of our leadership in the world. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity, Miller Center: April 18, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, March 9, 1977: Remarks at President Carter's Press Conference, May 22, 1977: University of Notre Dame Commencement, September 7, 1977: Statement on the Panama Canal Treaty Signing, November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, January 19, 1978: State of the Union Address, September 17, 1978: President Carter's Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit, October 24, 1978: Anti-Inflation Program Speech, December 15, 1978: Speech on Establishing Diplomatic Relations with China, January 23, 1979: State of the Union Address, July 15, 1979: "Crisis of Confidence" Speech. The gap between our citizens and our Government has never been so wide. This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our Nation. Twelve hours from now I will speak again in Kansas City, to expand and to explain further our energy program. 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 fourth principle is that we must reduce our vulnerability to potentially devastating embargoes. President Carter Farewell Address | C-SPAN.org 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. On July 15, 1979, amid stagnant economic growth, high inflation, and an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter delivered a televised address to the American people. The first was about 200 years ago, when we changed away from wood--which had provided about 90 percent of all fuel--to coal, which was much more efficient. The fifth principle is that we must be fair. Let me try to describe the size and the effect of the problem. "We can't go on consuming 40 percent more energy than we produce. Perspective | What Jimmy Carter's most famous moment can teach the When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. And it will get worse every day until we act. That's why I've worked hard to put my campaign promises into law--and I have to admit, with just mixed success. I ask Congress to give me authority for mandatory conservation and for standby gasoline rationing. Jimmy Carter's Energy Policy Legacy . 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. The energy crisis is real. "I am a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor, and a Christian," Jimmy Carter said while introducing himself to national political reporters when he announced his campaign to be the 39th president of the United States in December 1974.. As journalists and historians consider Carter's legacy, this prelude to Carter's campaign offers insight into how he . "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. During the 1950's, people used twice as much oil as during the 1940's. Our Nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. The question is, who should benefit from those rising prices for oil already discovered? Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oil--nearly 10 times as much. Copyright 2023. No one will gain an unfair advantage through this plan. They made possible the age of automobile and airplane travel. We may make mistakes, but we are ready to experiment. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. It's also especially difficult to deal with long-range, future challenges. --to use solar energy in more than 2 1/2 million houses. All of us have heard about the large oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. We can delay insulating our homes, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. It hurts every American family. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. This from a young woman in Pennsylvania: "I feel so far from government. On this day in 1979, with energy prices soaring and interest rates spiking, President Jimmy Carter told an anxious nation in a prime-time televised address that it faced "a crisis of. Thereafter, I was so dismayed by his presidency that I betrayed my natal Democratic Party and voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980. We can drift along for a few more years. Too few of our utility companies will have switched to coal, which is our most abundant energy source. 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. Point four: I'm asking Congress to mandate, to require as a matter of law, that our Nation's utility companies cut their massive use of oil by 50 percent within the next decade and switch to other fuels, especially coal, our most abundant energy source. When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. We can regain our confidence. Carter prefaced his talk about. Our energy plan will also include a number of specific goals to measure our progress toward a stable energy system. The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. Confidence has defined our course and has served as a link between generations. Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern this Nation. The presidency of Jimmy Carter (article) | Khan Academy 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. 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. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent o But the sacrifices can be gradual, realistic, and they are necessary. We must look back into history to understand our energy problem. But we still have another choice. It's worse because more waste has occurred and more time has passed by without our planning for the future. Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem that is unprecedented in our history. I will sign the energy bills only if they meet these tests. 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. The world has not prepared for the future. It feeds serious inflationary pressures in our own economy. to insulate 90 percent of American homes and all new buildings; President Jimmy Carter delivered this speech on July 15, 1979, exactly three years after accepting the nomination of the Democratic Party to run for president. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy. That is the concept of the energy policy that we will present on Wednesday. There should be only one test for this programwhether it will help our country. to increase our coal production by about two-thirds to more than one billion tons a year; 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. There is simply no way to avoid sacrifice. I'm announcing tonight that for 1979 and 1980, I will forbid the entry into this country of one drop of foreign oil more than these goals allow. Just as the search for solutions to our energy shortages has now led us to a new awareness of our Nation's deeper problems, so our willingness to work for those solutions in energy can strengthen us to attack those deeper problems. But, unfortunately, there are still some who seek personal gain over the national interest. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. The congressional conference committees are now considering changes in how electric power rates are set in order to discourage waste, to reward those who use less energy, and to encourage a change in the use of electricity to hours of the day when demand is low. Unless we act, we will spend more than $550 billion for imported oil by 1985--more than $2,500 for every man, woman, and child in America. 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. I do not promise a quick way out of our Nation's problems, when the truth is that the only way out is an all-out effort. The intent of the event was to call attention to issues affecting read more, On July 15, 2006, the San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially releases Twttrlater changed to Twitterits short messaging service (SMS) for groups, to the public. If we do not act, then by 1985 we will be using 33 percent more energy than we use today. 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. Play Video. An effective conservation program will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. But I think most of you realize that a policy which does not ask for changes or sacrifices would not be an effective policy at this late date. Copyright 2023. The message was usually focused on energy conservation. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. The energy. If we do not act, then by 1985 we will be using 33 percent more energy than we use today. Never speak ill of the dead, the old saying goes, but Jimmy Carter, 98, still lives. Vast amounts of American wealth no longer stay in the United States to build our factories and to give us a better life. place in this century, with the growing use of oil and natural gas. In 1979, America could still feel the effects of OPECs (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 1973 cuts in oil production. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered what became known as his "Crisis of Confidence" or "malaise" speech to the American public on national television. 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. Our energy problems have the same cause as our environmental problemswasteful use of resources. Now, these 10 principles have guided the development of the policy that I will describe to you and the Congress on Wednesday night. And the truth is that you cannot talk about economic problems now or in the future without talking about energy. January 23, 1979. But over those years the subjects of the speeches, the talks, and the press conferences have become increasingly narrow, focused more and more on what the isolated world of Washington thinks is important. Nearly everyone who is alive today grew up during this period, and we have never known anything different. Jimmy Carter speaks about a national "crisis in confidence" To some degree, the sacrifices will be painfulbut so is any meaningful sacrifice. 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," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). Presidential Speeches | Jimmy Carter Presidency Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity, Miller Center: November 8, 1977: Address to the Nation on Energy, September 7, 1977: Statement on the Panama Canal Treaty Signing, January 19, 1978: State of the Union Address, September 17, 1978: President Carter's Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit, October 24, 1978: Anti-Inflation Program Speech, December 15, 1978: Speech on Establishing Diplomatic Relations with China, January 23, 1979: State of the Union Address, July 15, 1979: "Crisis of Confidence" Speech, January 23, 1980: State of the Union Address, April 25, 1980: Statement on the Iran Rescue Mission, August 14, 1980: Acceptance Speech at the Democratic National Convention. We always believed that we were part of a great movement of humanity itself called democracy, involved in the search for freedom, and that belief has always strengthened us in our purpose. This will not be the last time that I, as President, present difficult and controversial choices to you and ask for your help. This change became the basis of the Industrial Revolution. Transcript of Carter's Address to the Nation About Energy Problems There are three things that we must do to avoid this danger: first, cut back on consumption; second, shift away from oil and gas to other sources of energy; and third, encourage production of energy here in the United States. It unbalances our Nation's trade with other countries. You don't like it, and neither do I. Thank you very much, and good night. They were more convenient and cheaper than coal, and the supply seemed to be almost without limit. I do not promise you that this struggle for freedom will be easy. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. . This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. ", And this from a young Chicano: "Some of us have suffered from recession all our lives. 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. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). This writer voted for Carter in 1976. ", "There will be other cartels and other shortages. In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent of war" and called on Americans to conserve energy. As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for schools, the news media, and other institutions. If we fail to act soon, we will face an economic, social, and political crisis that will threaten our free institutions. 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. A Democrat, he was governor of Georgia from 1971-1975, and a member of the state Legislature (in the Senate) from 1963 to 1967. Why have we not been able to get together as a nation to resolve our serious energy problem? 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. Primary Source: Jimmy Carter, "Crisis of Confidence" (1979) And above all, I will act. 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. This summer we used more oil and gasoline than ever before in our history. 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 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.