As inspiring as Michelle, and Ted, and Hillary were, what thrilled me even more, were the governors’ speeches yesterday. Governors like Mark Warner, Ted Strickland, Ed Rendell, Tom Vilsack, and Brian Schweitzer, who emphatically described their vision of a new American dream, largely fueled by bold energy and climate policies:
Here are some excerpts from Governor Schweitzer‘s speech:
A generation later, we face a great new challenge, a world energy crisis that threatens our economy, our security, our climate and our way of life. And until we address that energy crisis, our problems will only get worse. For eight long years, the White House has led us in the wrong direction. And now Senator McCain wants four more years of the same.
Can we afford four more years? Is it time for a change? When do we need it? And who do we need as the next President of the United States of America? That’s right. Barack Obama is the change we need!
Right now, the United States imports about 70 percent of its oil from overseas. At the same time, billions of dollars that we spend on all that foreign oil seems to end up in the bank accounts of those around the world who are openly hostile to American values and our way of life. This costly reliance on fossil fuels threatens America and the world in other ways, too. CO2 emissions are increasing global temperatures, sea levels are rising and storms are getting worse.
We need to break America’s addiction to foreign oil. We need a new energy system that is clean, green and American-made. And we need a president who can marshal our nation’s resources, get the job done and deliver the change we need.
That leader is Barack Obama. Barack Obama knows there’s no single platform for energy independence. It’s not a question of either wind or clean coal, solar or hydrogen, oil or geothermal. We need them all to create a strong American energy system, a system built on American innovation.
After eight years of a White House waiting hand and foot on big oil, John McCain offers more of the same. At a time of skyrocketing fuel prices, when American families are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, John McCain voted 25 times against renewable and alternative energy. Against clean biofuels. Against solar power. Against wind energy.
This not only hurts America’s energy independence, it could cost American families more than a hundred thousand jobs. At a time when America should be working harder than ever to develop new, clean sources, John McCain wants more of the same and has taken more than a million dollars in campaign donations from the oil and gas industry. Now he wants to give the oil companies another 4 billion dollars in tax breaks. Four billion in tax breaks for big oil?
That’s a lot of change, but it’s not the change we need.
In Montana, we’re investing in wind farms and we’re drilling in the Bakken formation, one of the most promising oil fields in America. We’re pursuing coal gasification with carbon sequestration and we’re promoting greater energy efficiency in homes and offices.
Even leaders in the oil industry know that Senator McCain has it wrong. We simply can’t drill our way to energy independence, even if you drilled in all of John McCain’s backyards, including the ones he can’t even remember.
That single-answer proposition is a dry well, and here’s why. America consumes 25 percent of the world’s oil, but has less than 3 percent of the reserves. You don’t need a $2 calculator to figure that one out. There just isn’t enough oil in America, on land or offshore, to meet America’s full energy needs.
Barack Obama understands the most important barrel of oil is the one you don’t use. Barack Obama’s energy strategy taps all sources and all possibilities. It will give you a tax credit if you buy a fuel-efficient car or truck, increase fuel-efficiency standards and put a million plug-in hybrids on the road.
Invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in clean, renewable energy technology. This will create up to 5 million new, green jobs and fuel long-term growth and prosperity. Senator Obama’s plan will also invest in a modern transmission grid to deliver this new, clean electricity from wind turbines and solar panels to homes, offices and the batteries in America’s new plug-in hybrid cars.
I am regaining faith in our political leadership. No matter what happens in the elections, the governors, and the mayors, and the senators, and the congress men and women, will take over. They understand what is at stake. They know that climate change and energy needs are not to be viewed as just bothers, but huge economic opportunities instead.
Do you share my excitement?
Montana is an interesting place – I grew up there. Gove Schweitzer and Sen Jon Tester (also a democrat) are populists with libertarian streaks. Montana usually votes Republican, but only because of some policy alignment – they aren’t of the Goldwater/Reagan/Bush flavor.
Schewitzer is charasmatic and has done some good things. Tester is even more interesting as he is more progressive.
The bone I have to pick with Schweitzer (and I’ve spend time with him) is he is a huge proponent of expanding Montana’s coal and gas reserves – especially coal. He believes we should just do it and somehow someone is going to figure out sequetrization and dream up schemes that don’t use a lot of water (a huge issue in the west).
Some bad projects are getting underway – notably a huge coal fired plant to the East of Great Falls.
He is a great speaker, cheerleader and motivator and may be important in bringing in votes along the Western front – Montana and Colorado in particularly. At the same time he would be a disastrous Sec. of Energy … this is a big coal guy who wants to do the coal to liquid fuel trick.
NOW, that’s talking about policy that may save the good ol’ United States of America ( and the rest of the world as well )
Rising sea levels are mentioned by Sen. Schweitzer and he is right to fear that, as I mentioned in an article this week.
He also mentions cutting the tax breaks of oil and coal industry. I have a future article on that as well. ^^
I am glad the Democrats bring some fuel to greener energies and ways to power the leading world economy.
Obama wants to create five million jobs in the United States in renewables, I hope there will be one for me
Keep up the good work Marguerite.
Thanks Steve! I guess here goes my green saint image of the Governor! Still, the job he did at the convention was awesome.
I just got lots of criticisms back for my latest post on the Huffington Post on Pickens. I think, with both Pickens and other leaders involved with energy and climate, it is important to separate their work as communicators and motivators, from their actual environmental work. I will take a lot of imperfections for a terrific job at mobilizing the crowds. Right now, it is critical that the public opinion becomes more engaged. Those are two different things, although I am sure one could make a good argument for stating that the two are one and the same and cannot be viewed separately.
Edouard, best in job search! Have you looked into that water job we talked about?
oh yeah Marguerite I did. I even found one but the interview didn’t worked out. next time perhaps !
Many thanks !
Schweitzer is bashing McCain while boasting about drilling in Montana? Obama is now in favor of offshore drilling (ahem — playing right into the hands of Big Oil)… so… where’s the difference in their platforms? I don’t get it. Obama says his administration is going to create millions of jobs in green energy — how, exactly? Gov’t jobs?
As a perennial optimist, i do share the excitement, the more wind, the more wind.
Let them talk loud and almost clear, let the governors stir their states toward renewables and local resources. Eventually, the cleaner energy will prevail over the waning dirty ones. I do believe the trend is set toward sustainable living.
The work is not done, but the awareness is on the march all the way to the lowest consumers on the oil train. Thank you for the transcript and articles.
Nadine, I do have one big worry however, and that is Mrs. Palin! All that enthusiasm could get dampened with one fatal choice. Let us be on the alert and do all we can so that this polar bear doomer never makes it to the White House.