Biofuels promotion in Obama's speech at Andrews's base
On the 31st of March, 2010 US president visited Wright Patterson Air Force base where he was watching the first test flight of A-10C Thunderbolt II, working on biofuels mixture and made a speech about energy security at Joint Base Andrews, Md.
At the beginning of his speech president made few introductions among which were the introduction of Ken Salazar, named by the president to be the finest Interior Secretary in the US history and other representatives of "green team": Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Martha Johnson, the Administrator of the GSA; Nancy Sutley, the CEQ Chair, Carol Browner the White House Energy and Climate Change Director. Having introduced these persons, President mentioned them to do a great work in "green energy" domain.
He has mentioned the presence of Governor Martin O'Malley, the governor of Maryland, Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Gary Roughead, the Naval Operations chief whose wonderful work had been greatly appreciated by the president.
Obama expressed separate gratitude to Steven Shepro, the Andrews base commander, having named this base to be the leader of Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.
Having made the presentations, president turned to more detailed description of his team members. He mentioned Ken Salazar and him as being former colleagues in Senate and specified that he appointed Ken as he knew this person to become loyal and practical protector of country natural resources. President specified Ken to change the manner of Interior department management to more responsible manner, which is necessary for traditional and renewable energy sources development. Wind from plains, suns in the desert, off coast waves are among such resources. President mentioned his gratefulness to Ken for preparing this presentation.
President has also been glad to see many members of Armed Forces. He said Andrews to be the first Air Forces home and expressed his gratitude for the work the base members did for him and his family, specified 100 percent on-time departure reputation and the absence of luggage fee. President also mentioned the base members work they done on country every day security.
Barak Obama mentioned his speech main goal to talk about energy security, which he mentioned to be the principal issue of his administration policy from the moment of his appointment as a president. President specified about largest investment to alternative energy domain, which, according to his words, woul help to create or save more than 700,000 jobs around the country: production of sophisticated batteries for more efficient cars, power network modernization, doubling of the country capacity to produce energy from such sources as wind and sun.
President said that he had gathered together largest car producers, labor unions heads, environmentalists and public officers from all states to make historically important agreement about raising of the fuel economy standards in cars and vehicles just within few months since the moment of his appointment. These new standards will be completed after the years when few things had been done for car efficiency increase. Such standards promulgation will help to reduce country dependence on foreign oil supplies and decrease fuel prices.
Having mentioned such fact, president confirmed his administration to follow their part of the deal and expresses the expectation other parties to do in the following manner. He has also mentioned the rule about mileage standards increase will economize in general 1.8 billion barrels of oil, which means like getting 58 million cars off the road within one year.
President has also announced about his administration in person of Energy Secretary Mr. Chu and GSA Administrator Johnson to double the amount of hybrid cars in federal cars park and even try to decrease the overall amount of cars and vehicles used for government purposes. Having made such actions president wants to show his team keeps their word: reduces expenses, economizes energy and decreases country dependence on foreign oil.
At the same time the president thinks that such actions are not enough. According to his opinion the country needs to invest more in clean coal and new generation biofuels technologies. He mentioned about his recent decision to make loans for making the foundation of American first new nuclear plant within thirty years. Such project will create thousands of job vacancies. He mentioned the country would need to take unpopular decisions such as opening new offshore tracts where oil and gas would be developed in a manner aimed to protect surrounding regions and coast lines for the period of transition to alternative energy sources in the near future.
According to president this decision wasn't spontaneous. His team in person of Ken Salazar, Carol Browner and others from his administration together with him had been making this issue thorough assessment within one year and came to the conclusion that the country would need to utilize traditional fuel sources even on the transition to alternative energy sources taking into account country energy needs, the necessity to keep constant economical increase, make jobs and keep country's business competitive.
The president confirmed official promulgation of such resolution and repeated to the audience that all would be done in balance with the country need to have interior energy resources and protect country environment. The president expressed confidence in Salazar policy conducting and the application of the technologies that would reduce the influence the oil development has. Talking about the influence reduction the president meant the protection of important tourism regions, environment and country natural security, having specified that all would be done based on scientific facts, not on political ideology
The areas of potential development would be the areas of mid and south Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, with simultaneous studies and protection of Arctic areas. He has set as an example his administration support of Alaska North Slope leased areas and simultaneous protection of Alaska's Bristol Bay.
President team understands they might have the opponents who would strongly disagree with new areas opening for drilling. That is why president specified that program to be the part of more developed strategy which would help to transition from fossil fuel and oil dependent economy to the more alternative energy based economy. Plus president had named such solution to be successful only in case of such solution short and long term perspectives presence and mentioned that the inability to recognize this fact would be a great mistake
The president has also mentioned that some might set as a reproach the administration efforts to be not complete and offer all waters opening to energy development without any restrictions and thinking about environmental and economical consequences. In order to justify the way his administration acts in such manner Barak Obama has set the following facts about the country possessing less than 2 % of oil world stores and the fact of country consumption of more than 20 % of world oil stores, by thus trying to explain to his opponents that sole development is not the solution for country long term needs implementation and naming the transition to advanced fuels as the way to preserve planet and country energy independence.
President named the situation to be quite contradictory as the country should not develop everywhere with simultaneous taking into account the necessity of important energy sources for country economic growth and security keeping. At the end the country needs to go further senseless debates of right and left, companies' heads and environment supporters, drilling supporters and opponents and avoid senseless argues which may cause the country progress decrease.
Barak Obama mentioned that the country needs to change its habits in order to avoid growing dependence on foreign oil supplies. Unfortunately the will to act occurs when the oil prices grow and everyone becomes energy expert when spending more at the pump
On continuing his speech the president made emphasis on continuous talks about current energy system threat to the future generation and set a great amount of evidences on climate change, starting from Arctic Circle to the Gulf Coast as the examples. He said that it concerns Armed Forces more, as their task is to protect country security which is in danger due to foreign oil supplies dependence, growing every year.
President thinks that the country lost is time for senseless talks of politicians, when other countries took actions to find their place at world market by making investments into energy producing and saving technologies. Other countries like China, Germany etc. have already understood that the nation conducting alternative energy economy is the potential world leader. The militaries have already understood that the country doesn't have more time for endless political debates which bring to nothing.
President answered the questions of some media on the issues why offshore drilling is being announced at Andrews Air Force Base hangar. The answer was simple. The Armed Forces is the leader and president confirmed this statement having paid the audience attention to F-18 fighter and the light-armored vehicle, standing behind him. This jet, which was the first plane to fly ion Earth Day had been tested by The Army and Marine Corps, using biofuels blends. This jet is planned to be the plane to fly on half biomass fuel blend, which flies faster than the speed of sound. The Air Force had also been made the test of jet engines compatibility with biofuels and the tests turned out to be successful
Having said this, the president has turned the audience to the idea that pentagon has two reasons for alternative energy domain development: the first one is the task to protect environment, the second is the country security protection. Armed forces leaders are aware that alternative fuels usage increase, energy usage drop-down, country imported oil dependence reduction and making the country more energy efficient is the security requirement. In order to confirm their to implement the aforementioned facts into practice the Navy Secretary Mabus has announced the goal to transition to 50 % biofuels usage in all planes, cars and ship during the following ten years. In order to provide such transition the Navy Forces had received the investment of $2.7 billion for energy efficiency technologies improvement this year only.
Talking about alternative energy correlation with national security the president addressed the same domain correlation with country economy and our planet future. He has expressed hope that the political direction the president administration defined, such as hybrid cars, offshore area exploration, nuclear and wind energy will prove the seriousness of the administration goals. The problems the country faces require thinking and acting ways changes. President said that everyone regardless of their status: whether civilian or military government official, public or private sector worker should think how to act in more efficient manner and get the country rid of the accidents which occur constantly somewhere in Middle East or other oil-manufacturing countries.
President expressed his readiness to accept proposals both from Democrats and Republicans and the hope that common challenges will make parties forget about political disagreements. Barak Obama is sure that the country together may pass climate and energy laws set, which would help to create new energy, the creation of which means the creation of new domain, new jobs, protect planet and gain more energy independence.
Having finished his remarks on Democrats and Republicans, the president thanks to overall audience and expressed special thanks to Armed Services personnel, giving mentioned enormous contribution and leadership example they show to the rest.
