Thank you for inviting me.
And thank all of you for being here. Because what we are doing here, today matters.
Every day, in Washington, the oil and gas industry is making their voice heard. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Oil and gas PACs spent more than 8 million dollars during the 2006 election cycle. Eight million dollars on trying to influence elections. And once the election is over the lobbying begins. Oil and gas lobbyists spent more than 73 million dollars in 2006. That’s about $136,000 dollars for every representative and senator. For that kind of money each senator and representative could have a well paid, full-time oil and gas lobbyist devoted just to them.
So with these oil and gas lobbyists working every day and spending money to make their voices heard, is it any wonder that the percentage of energy we get from renewables is the same now as it was 20 years ago?
I’m running for the Senate here in New Hampshire so we can work for the change that all of us here know is necessary. We have to fight for change and a new vision for America. Now.
I’m not a career politician or a Washington insider, like our current Senator, John Sununu. And unlike John Sununu, I’m not accepting campaign contributions from PAC’s. What I can offer is a variety of experience. I’m a doctor and a scientist. I spent 8 years in the Air Force Reserve, and I’m an astronaut.
In 1998 I flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia. Our mission orbited the Earth 256 times and traveled 6.3 million miles. When I saw the Earth from space, I was amazed by how beautiful it was -- how thin the layer of atmosphere is that surrounds our planet.
I realized how vital it is to protect our environment. And that’s why I’m committed to helping our country end our dependence on oil and develop safe, renewable energy alternatives. Today, we know that our climate is changing and global warming is a threat to us – and to future generations.
But despite this threat, too many of our leaders are influenced by the oil and gas industry’s lobbyists and PACs. They don’t want to step it up, they want to slow it down. But if you want to be first in the New Energy Economy, and we need to be first, you can’t go slow.
Back when John Kennedy announced the Apollo program to the Moon he said, “We choose to go to the Moon and do the other things in this decade, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
Well, getting off of petroleum is going to be hard. But we can do it. Back when John Kennedy made that announcement the U.S. had a total of 15 minutes of manned spaceflight experience. Eight years later, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. Our country has shown how we can change – and change fast.
Look at the 1920’s. In that decade, the number of American homes with electrical power doubled.
Look at the growth of computers and cell phones in the 1990’s. How many of us had a personal cell phone a decade ago? How many have one today?
We can make changes. And we have to get off of petroleum and other fossil fuels quickly.
You already know that it’s an environmental issue and that making this change would be a tremendous boost to our economy.
But it’s also an issue of our national security and our freedom.
It’s an issue of our national security because for more than 20 years, our policy has been that access to Persian Gulf oil is a vital national security interest of the United States and must be defended.
In fact, last month the U.S. Senate passed a resolution about Iran. In that resolution they talked about how events in Iraq and Iran were very important because they could affect quote “the health of the global economy.” Unquote.
“The health of the global economy?” What are they trying to say? Well, they were talking about oil, of course. Our economy and the whole world’s economy depends on it, and that has a profound influence on our foreign policy and national security.
But what does petroleum have to do with freedom?
Well, I have to admit, I used to think that petroleum was a passport to freedom. Back in high school I couldn’t wait to get my drivers license. Driving my old Chevy II and listening to the 8 track, I felt free.
But as time goes on, I realized that this freedom is an illusion. We aren’t really free to take whatever action we want. Instead we are dependent. We don’t want the situation in the Persian Gulf to get out of control because it could ruin our economy. And every day that we increase our petroleum consumption, the deeper that dependency becomes.
So now, every time I fill up my gas tank, I know that gas I’m pumping comes at a high price. The price of conflict in the Persian Gulf. The price of a warming planet and the severe consequences that might have. The price of lost freedom.
In order for us to have true freedom we need energy options. We need leadership in Washington to address our petroleum problem and launch a New Energy Economy based on four key elements:
1.Renewable transportation fuel. Whether its ethanol from cellulose, biodiesel from plants, or electricity from solar cells, we need options for transportation. Brazil is already powering a fifth of their cars with ethanol only; and 70% of new cars there can run on ethanol or gas. Their oil imports are down to almost zero. If they can do it, why can’t we?
2.Distributed power. What could offer more freedom than generating your own power at home with solar? Germany and Japan have become leaders in this field, why can’t we?
3.Efficiency. When I was a kid and left the door open, my father would say “hey are you trying to heat the whole outdoors?” Well, we need to stop doing that as a nation, by having good insulation, better windows and efficient heating and air conditioning. This can make a tremendous impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
4.Real democracy. If we let the oil and gas industries control the debate they will want to make changes on their terms and on their schedule. Remember, as the voters, we are in charge. If we want energy options, we need to make that abundantly clear through the ballot box.
That’s why I’d like as ask for your support for our campaign and for you to join us in signing the Declaration of Independence from Oil we’re passing out today.
There’s a future out there for us. It’s a future where America leads in technology and innovation. It’s a future where we depend on safe, renewable energy. And it’s a future where voters, not special interests are guiding the country.
But it’s up to us to fight for this future. It will take hard work. But together, we can do it. And we must take the first step now. And then step it up.
Thank you.
Labels: climate change
