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Obama: The time to embrace a clean energy future is now

President Obama addressing the nation last night, demanding a move away from using fossil fuels

The President issued a call to action last night for the nation to move away from fossil fuels toward a clean energy economy.

Addressing the nation following his visit to the Gulf of Mexico, President Obama said he would look at various ideas from all parts of the political spectrum “as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels”.

As the Senate seeks a way to put in place comprehensive energy and climate policy following last year’s bill from the House of Representatives, President Obama suggested that more efficient buildings and standards to source electricity from wind and solar projects are on the table.

After laying out his plans for dealing with the “worst environmental disaster America has ever faced”, President Obama said the future for energy in the US had to change.

He said: “There are costs associated with this transition. And there are some who believe that we can’t afford those costs right now. I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy -– because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater.”

Jobs

The President said the US needed to match China’s efforts in investing in clean energy industries and jobs, suggesting that investment in research and development in the energy sector ought to reach the kind of levels seen in the high-tech sector.

He said ideas including energy efficiency requirements for buildings and a national renewable electricity standard “deserve a fair hearing in the months ahead”.

Harking back to America’s manufacturing response to World War II and the achievement of putting a man on the moon, President Obama added: “The one approach I will not accept is inaction. The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is somehow too big and too difficult to meet.”

In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico disaster, the President’s speech also confirmed his intention to completely reform the oil industry watchdog, the Minerals Management Service, and make BP pay for the impact the spill has had on the region.

Oil

For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered” - President Obama

The President has put in place a six-month moratorium on deep-water oil drilling, forming  a National Commission to look into the reasons behind the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

In the long-term, he said the US cannot continue to consume more than 20% of the world’s oil, while possessing less than 2% of the world’s oil reserves.

He said: “For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered.  For decades, we’ve talked and talked about the need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels.  And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires.”

President Obama said the path toward clean energy may have been blocked by oil industry lobbyists and by a “lack of political courage”, but insisted that “now is the moment” to embark on a “national mission”.

He said: “The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.”