Kerry-Edwards Plan to End Our Dependence on Mideast Oil
SANTA FE, N.M., Oct. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- John Kerry and John Edwards
have a plan to harness the full force of American ingenuity to create
the energy of the future and make America independent of Middle East
oil. Their plan will increase fuel efficiency, lower energy prices,
produce alternative and renewable sources of energy, and create new
energy jobs in America, not in the Middle East.
Their five-point energy plan to make America safer, stronger, and more
secure will:
(1) Create an Energy Security Trust Fund. John Kerry and John Edwards
will move us to a new energy future by creating an "Energy Security
Conservation Trust Fund" that will leverage funds to develop new clean
fuels and foster innovation. The Fund will provide incentives to
automakers to develop and consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient
cars. It will also enable us to increase our use of renewable fuels
(including ethanol and biodiesel) and to develop clean and efficient
hydrogen fuel. By 2020, we 20 percent of our fuel sources will be
domestically- produced alternative fuels. The fund will be capitalized
with over $20 billion from existing federal oil and gas royalty
revenues.
(2) Reduce Energy Bills for American Consumers. Today, American
consumers are spending over $500 more for energy per year than they
did during the Clinton administration. John Kerry and John Edwards
will reign in out-of-control gas prices for families, farmers, and
businesses by restoring American leadership abroad; simplifying
gasoline rules; managing our Strategic Petroleum Reserve more
effectively; ensuring fair competition in the energy marketplace; and
helping industry, schools, and homes increase energy efficiency and
cut their energy bills.
(3) Diversify Sources of Energy. The Bush administration has sat idly
by while our nation's dependence on foreign oil has increased. In
contrast, John Kerry and John Edwards will make America independent of
Middle East oil by finding new sources of natural gas; making clean
coal part of our energy future; ensuring that 20 percent of our
electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020; securing a future
for nuclear power; and seeking more diverse sources of oil in America
and in non-OPEC countries.
(4) Avoid Blackouts. John Kerry and John Edwards want to avoid the
blackouts that afflicted America during the summer of 2003. They will
address the vulnerability of America's electricity grid by enacting
mandatory and enforceable reliability standards and employing new,
innovative technologies to revolutionize the system.
(5) Create 21st Century Energy Jobs: John Kerry and John Edwards will
create energy jobs in America, not in the Middle East, by providing
incentives to invest in clean energy technologies and encourage job
creation. Our country has a legacy of innovation, and John Kerry and
John Edwards will ensure that the jobs of the future are located here
in America.
GEORGE BUSH: IN THE POCKET OF BIG OIL
In one of his first acts in office in January 2001, President Bush
tapped Vice President ***** Cheney to lead the National Energy Policy
Development Group, commissioned to gather information and recommend a
set of energy polices. Before becoming Bush's running mate, Cheney was
chairman and chief executive officer of the Texas-based Halliburton
Co., one of the world's largest service providers to the oil and gas
industry.
Among those reportedly advising the group were former Enron Chairman
Kenneth Lay and two of the company's lobbyists; Haley Barbour, a
former Republican Party chairman and lobbyist for energy producers,
who is now the Governor of Mississippi; Marc Racicot, a former
Governor of Montana and electric industry lobbyist, who is now
Chairman of Bush's re-election campaign; 61 Pioneers -- each of whom
pledged to raise $100,000 for Bush's 2000 campaign -- were from the
Energy and Natural Resources industry. Five of these Pioneers,
including Edison Electric Institute President Thomas Kuhn, were
appointed to Bush's energy transition team. (
http://www.whitehouseforsale.org )
Vice President Cheney has refused to give the American public a seat
at the table or even provide information on the process that created
our nation's energy plan. In the face of challenges that have reached
as high as the Supreme Court, this administration has repeatedly
refused to grant the American people a voice in the structure and
management of their own natural resources and national security.
BUSH ENERGY PLAN: BAD FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
America Has Become More Dependent on Foreign Oil. Over the past four
years, America has become increasingly dependent on foreign oil. In
2000, 58.2 percent of the oil consumed in the United States was
imported. That has increased to 61.7 percent today. (EIA, "Overview of
US Petroleum Trade")
BUSH ENERGY PLAN: BAD FOR CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY
Our energy Dependence Also Hurts our Economy. Because of rising gas
prices, families are paying more at the pump gas prices are up 38
percent under Bush. And rising gas prices hurt business investment,
eating up funds that could otherwise be used to create new jobs or
invest in new equipment. The airline industry will spend an extra
$11.4 billion in gas this year, and farmers will spend an additional
$2.8 billion. N. Gregory Mankiw, Chairman of the President's Council
of Economic Advisors acknowledged the impact saying, "High energy
prices are now a drag on the economy, as well as a strain on family
budgets." (EIA price data, 10/4/04; Off-Highway Transportation Related
Fuel Use, April 2004, Stacy C. Davis and Lorena Truett; Air
Transportation Association, Q&A on the Impact of Rising Fuel Prices,
5/14/04; EIA, Historical Spot Prices of Jet Fuel, New York, NY; New
York Times, 8/22/04)
Record Profits for Big Oil Companies While Consumers Are Gouged at the
Pump: Higher gasoline prices have cost the American consumer over $34
billion since George Bush took office. This money has gone directly
from consumers pocketbooks into the hands of oil companies and oil
producers, including OPEC. Over that same time, the big three American
oil companies -- ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips -- made
profits of $38.6 billion off American consumers. (Date is through June
30, 2004, the second quarter of 2004. Based on EIA Monthly Energy
Review; ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips Company Financial
Reports)
Bush's Own Energy Information Administration Claimed the Bush Plan
Wouldn't Impact Prices. Bush's own EIA found that the effect of the
proposal would be "negligible" with respect to production,
consumption, imports, and energy prices. (EIA,
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp )
BUSH ENERGY PLAN: BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
The Bush Energy Plan Puts Public Health at Risk. The Bush plan exempts
oil and gas companies from Clean Water Act requirements that limit
pollution from construction sites; runoff from drill pads often
contains toxic chemicals that pollute our rivers and streams and
threaten drinking water supplies. The Bush plan also exempts new gas
extraction technologies -- called hydraulic fracturing -- from the
Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA officials have raised concerns that these
technologies -- which were invented by Halliburton -- may contaminate
water wells and poison aquifers. Finally, the Bush plan delays
requirements to reduce smog and improve air quality in some of the
most polluted cities in the nation and forces millions of Americans to
continue to breathe unhealthy air. (Los Angeles Times, 8/26/2001; St.
Louis Post Dispatch, 11/23/2003; Houston Chronicle, 5/18/2001)
George Bush Created a Task Force to Expedite Industry Concerns
Regarding Drilling on Public Lands. The Bush task force directs
complaints from the energy companies directly to officials in the
field. "Internal memos and interviews show senior administration
officials have directed federal employees to be responsive to
industry, commended offices that approved large numbers of drilling
permits and chastised those that were slow." As a result, the Bush
administration has issued drilling permits at a record pace for three
of the last four years an increase of 70 percent over the Clinton
administration. (Los Angeles Times, 8/25/2004)
Bush Slashes Budget for Renewable Energy Investments. The Bush budget
reduces money for proven clean energy programs. Most notably, it cuts
solar energy programs by more than $3 million (4 percent) and biomass
by $14 million (16 percent). (Bush FY05 Budget)
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=37868
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