The cost will keep going up. Twelve hours from now I will speak again in Kansas City, to expand and to explain further our energy program. The cost will keep going up. 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. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others. When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. to reduce the annual growth rate in our energy demand to less than 2 percent; Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). World consumption of oil is still going up. We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and our grandchildren. Presidential Speeches | Jimmy Carter Presidency He puts forth several initiatives to push the nation towards greater. With God's help and for the sake of our Nation, it is time for us to join hands in America. It's fitting that I'm speaking to you on an election day, a day which reminds us that you, the people, are the rulers of this Nation, that your Government will be as courageous and effective and fair as you demand 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. The eighth principle is that Government policies must be predictable and certain. 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. 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. 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. World oil production can probably keep going up for another 6 or 8 years. A huge box-office hit, the film established Willis as a movie star and spawned three sequels. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. 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). So, the solution of our energy crisis can also help us to conquer the crisis of the spirit in our country. "We can't go on consuming 40 percent more energy than we produce. We waste more energy than we import. To some degree, the sacrifices will be painfulbut so is any meaningful sacrifice. 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). When we import oil we are also importing inflation plus unemployment. 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. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. Play Video. We will monitor our progress toward these goals year by year. Although all countries could, of course, be more efficient, we are the worst offender. 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. I promised you a President who is not isolated from the people, who feels your pain, and who shares your dreams and who draws his strength and his wisdom from you. 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. Now the energy proposal that I made to Congress last April has three basic elements to ensure that it is well balanced. These are the goals that we set for 1985: --to reduce the annual growth rate in our energy demand to less than 2 percent; --to reduce gasoline consumption by 10 percent below its. These wounds are still very deep. Our Nation's economic and political independence is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. And this year we may spend $45 billion. Last year we spent $36 billion for imported oil--nearly 10 times as much. But just as we are losing our confidence in the future, we are also beginning to close the door on our past. The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now and then reversed as we move through the 1980's, for I am tonight setting the further goal of cutting our dependence on foreign oil by one-half by the end of the next decade--a saving of over 4 1/2 million barrels of imported oil per day. These were the promises I made 3 years ago, and I intend to keep them. The German general read more, Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona) is nominated by the Republican Party to run for president. It causes unemployment. But we still have another choice. 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. It's important that we promote new oil and gas discoveries and increased production by giving adequate prices to the producers. These quotas will ensure a reduction in imports even below the ambitious levels we set at the recent Tokyo summit. 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. During the next few weeks, the Congress will make a judgment on these vital questions. Good evening. Carter prefaced his talk about. The Congress is facing very difficult decisions, courageously, and we've formed a good partnership. The statement marked a dramatic turning point in U.S.-China relations, as well as a major shift in American foreign policy. Too few of our utility companies will have switched to coal, which is our most abundant energy source. Jimmy Carter. 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 . Carter ended by asking for input from average citizens to help him devise an energy agenda for the 1980s. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation. A President is elected for just 4 years, a Senator for 6, and our Representatives in Congress for only 2 years. We have no choice about that. On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation via live television to discuss the nation's energy crisis and accompanying recession. This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future. Other generations of Americans have faced and mastered great challenges. On July 15, 1979, amid stagnant economic growth, high inflation, and an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter delivered a televised address to the American people. Many of these proposals will be unpopular. We can't continue to use oil and gas for 75 percent of our consumption, as we do now, when they only make up 7 percent of our domestic reserves. Why have we not been able to get together as a nation to resolve our serious energy problem? And it will get worse every day until we act. November 08, 1977. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy secure nation. The gap between our citizens and our Government has never been so wide. It's crucial that you understand how serious this challenge is. We could endanger our freedom as a sovereign nation to act in foreign affairs. Inflation will soar; production will go down; people will lose their jobs. ", And the last that I'll read: "When we enter the moral equivalent of war, Mr. President, don't issue us BB guns.". So, I decided to reach out and listen to the voices of America. The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement cost of energy. The second change took. I will sign the energy bills only if they meet these tests. That's why I've worked hard to put my campaign promises into law--and I have to admit, with just mixed success. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of man's previous history combined. ", And this is one of the most vivid statements: "Our neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has a knife. He also admitted that part of the problem was his failure to provide strong leadership on many issues, particularly energy and oil consumption. It will be money well spent. I believe that this can be a positive challenge. March 9, 1977: Remarks at President Carter's Press Conference. Presidential Speeches | Jimmy Carter Presidency It hurts every American family. We can decide to act while there is still time. The strength we need will not come from the White House, but from every house in America.". Talk to us about blood and sweat and tears. Our emphasis on conservation is a clear difference between this plan and others which merely encouraged crash production efforts. Our excessive dependence on OPEC has already taken a tremendous toll on our economy and our people. The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. The world has not prepared for the future. When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. 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.". But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources--America's people, America's values, and America's confidence. 1924) giving one of his fireside chats on energy. They made possible the age of automobile and airplane travel. They were more convenient and cheaper than coal, and the supply seemed to be almost without limit. 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. current level; --to cut in half the portion of U.S. oil which is imported--from a potential level of 16 million barrels to 6 million barrels a day; --to establish a strategic petroleum reserve of one billion barrels, more than a 6-months supply; --to increase our coal production by about two-thirds to more than one billion tons a year; To some degree, the sacrifices will be painful--but so is any meaningful sacrifice. You may be right, but suspicions about the oil companies cannot change the fact that we are running out of petroleum. He outlined the creation of a solar bank that he said would eventually supply 20 percent of the nations energy. to establish a strategic petroleum reserve of one billion barrels, more than a 6-months supply; Industry will have to do its part to conserve just as consumers will. This is a special night for me. 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. What can we do? 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. We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. With about the same standard of living, we use twice as much energy per person as do other countries like Germany, Japan, and Sweden. We can begin to prepare right now. We can manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. Cunanan had no criminal record before the spring of 1997, when he began a killing read more, During a live television and radio broadcast, President Richard Nixon stuns the nation by announcing that he will visit communist China the following year. His remarks were broadcast live on radio and television. What are his proposed solutions? Good evening. It's worse because more waste has occurred and more time has passed by without our planning for the future. The president was scheduled to deliver a speech on July 4 but canceled at the last minute. They have never been healed. All of us have heard about the large oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. 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. It makes it harder for us to balance our Federal budget and to finance needed programs for our people. The people are looking for honest answers, not easy answers; clear leadership, not false claims and evasiveness and politics as usual. The confidence that we have always had as a people is not simply some romantic dream or a proverb in a dusty book that we read just on the Fourth of July. 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. Our Nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. 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. Nearly everyone who is alive today grew up during this period, and we have never known anything different. - Jimmy Carter, Energy Address to the Nation, April 18, 1977. Well, I understand how he felt, but I must tell you the truth. 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 fifth principle is that we must be fair. We have the ability to administer the new energy legislation, and congressional work on the National Energy Plan has now reached the final stage. Copyright 2023. The history of our Nation is one of meeting challenges and overcoming them. 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. ", "Mr. President, we're in trouble. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. When President Jimmy Carter addressed the nation on April 18, 1977, the U.S. was in a crisis. As a people we know our past and we are proud of it. 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. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency . In his speech, President Carter called the crisis "the moral equivalent o This energy plan is a good insurance policyfor the future, in which relatively small premiums that we pay today will protect us in the years ahead. We are at a turning point in our history. Restoring that faith and that confidence to America is now the most important task we face. Carter address's the crisis of confidence in America, but tells Americans to first begin addressing problems by addressing the energy crisis within their home. That is the concept of the energy policy that we will present on Wednesday. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977 (excerpts). 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. In it, Carter singled out a pervasive "crisis of confidence" preventing the American people from moving the country forward. Along with that money that we transport overseas, we will continue losing American jobs and become increasingly vulnerable to supply interruptions. 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. We can't substantially increase our domestic production, so we would need to import twice as much oil as we do now. 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. 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. Carter retreated to Camp David, where he met with Americans from various backgrounds and spoke . We must look back into history to understand our energy problem. But we still have another choice. You can help me to develop a national agenda for the 1980's. Supplies will be uncertain. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. On the battlefield of energy we can win for our Nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny. Carter prefaced his talk about energy policy with an explanation of why he believed the American economy remained in crisis. We've always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. Jimmy Carter, "Address to the Nation on Energy," April 18, 1977. If we do not act, then by 1985 we will be using 33 percent more energy than we use today. This summer we used more oil and gasoline than ever before in our history. Above all, they will be fair. Our consumption of oil would keep going up every year. The ninth principle is that we must conserve the fuels that are scarcest and make the most of those that are plentiful. I'm sure that each of you will find something you don't like about the specifics of our proposal. Washington, D.C., has become an island. to insulate 90 percent of American homes and all new buildings; During the 1960's, we used twice as much as during the 1950's. If we fail to act soon, we will face an economic, social, and political crisis that will threaten our free institutions. I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. Then I became upstate New York chairman of Democrats for Reagan in 1984. Working with Congress, we've now formed a new Department of Energy, headed by Secretary James Schlesinger. Confidence in the future has supported everything else--public institutions and private enterprise, our own families, and the very Constitution of the United States. Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. 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. Moreover, I will soon submit legislation to Congress calling for the creation of this Nation's first solar bank, which will help us achieve the crucial goal of 20 percent of our energy coming from solar power by the year 2000. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy.