Candidates talk energy in victory speeches

Obama takes NC; Clinton appears to win Indiana 6

Muckraker: Grist on PoliticsBarack Obama claimed North Carolina, and Hillary Clinton is the likely winner out in Indiana. In his speech in Raleigh, Obama noted the need for new, clean energy policy, and took the opportunity to knock Clinton and McCain's "gas-tax holiday" plan:

The man I met in Pennsylvania who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one - he can't afford four more years of an energy policy written by the oil companies and for the oil companies; a policy that's not only keeping gas at record prices, but funding both sides of the war on terror and destroying our planet in the process. He doesn't need four more years of Washington policies that sound good, but don't solve the problem. He needs us to take a permanent holiday from our oil addiction by making the automakers raise their fuel standards, corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future. That's the change we need. And that's why I'm running for President.

Clinton threw some fighting words on the subject in her speech in Indiana last night, too:

I know that we have got an important debate going on right now about how we are going to help families deal with these gas prices. They have gone up so fast, so out of sight in the minds of the people that I talk with and I think it's time that we really had a concerted strategy. You've heard me say this and I'll say it again. I think its time to give Americans a break this summer and to make the oil companies pay the gas tax out of their record profits.

Kate Sheppard is Grist’s political reporter.

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  1. Pompey Road Posted 9:52 pm
    06 May 2008

    Enron LoopholeI believe we have hit peak oil but also I keep hearing about this thing called the Enron Loophole.
    Basically it comes down to the price of oil right now should be about $60 to $65 a barrel instead of $120.
    Much the same as the subprime mortgage mess this also is caused by deregulation. Relaxing the rules from about 2000 on in oil trading especailly speculating has brought about an artificial market surrounding oil.
    That's what happens when you don't manufacture anything anymore and bust your construction and housing industry.

    The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.

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  2. cjwirth Posted 10:30 pm
    06 May 2008

    Presidential candidates and Peak OilAll of the presidential candidates are ignorant of Peak Oil and the realities of alternative energies. The public wants and the presidential candidates will deliver some Manhattan type energy program. This approach, whether solar, wind, or nuclear will use up a lot of oil, natural gas, and coal and just give us more electric power, which we don't need and can't use to plant, harvest, and transport food, nor will it heat our homes. For more explanations about Peak Oil and alternatives, see: http://www.peakoilassociates.com/POAnalysis.html

    cjwirth http://www.peakoilassociates.com

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  3. soleful2001 Posted 12:17 am
    07 May 2008

    Gas Cost sToo Much??We are all screamning about how gasoline is so expensive. While we are bellowing about oil companies, we are in our cars driving 80 mph on the freeways, driving indiscriminately, we have poorly timed traffic lights in our towns,and WE ARE SITTING IN FAST FOOD DRIVE THRU's IN OUR OVER-SIZED CARS, ONE PASSENGER, AND WASTING FUEL.  

    We cannot say that gasoline is too expensive and continue wasting energy.  

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  4. bigTom Posted 12:20 am
    07 May 2008

    The ignorance is on purpose.  The people are deemed not ready for the grim truth. The tinfoil hat notions that its just manipulation by greedy oil companies and speculators is easy to exploit. Telling people who already are hurting due to the increase in fuel costs, that the problem is they are paying too little, is too much tough love, -certainly at least for this stage of the popularity contest.

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  5. mike365 Posted 12:25 am
    07 May 2008

    High cost of oil IS the answer"This approach, whether solar, wind, or nuclear will use up a lot of oil, natural gas, and coal and just give us more electric power, which we don't need and can't use to plant, harvest, and transport food, nor will it heat our homes."
    cjwirth,
    I fail to understand your logic... How is it that moving to alternatives like solar, wind, and nuclear will consume "a lot" of fossil fuels?  The reality is that in America and elsewhere (e.g. China, India) electricity consumption continues to grow, and the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity production - not from transportation.  These technologies might require a finite amount of fossil fuels in construction phases, but the amount consumed will directly and quickly be offset by the consumption that these technologies replace.  
    The answer to our energy problem doesn't lie in increased corporate taxes, since these will only force job cuts or induce costs that are passed on to the consumer.  This talk of commandeering the oil companies' record profits will never fly, especially with the influence that the corporate lobbyists have in Congress (not to mention the questionable legality of such a process). The solution will come from a combination of publicly funded research and private development, both of which are already booming because of high oil prices. The answer lies in the incentive and higher fossil fuel prices mean greater market response.  

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  6. cjwirth Posted 2:58 pm
    07 May 2008

    Solar and wind worsen the energy crisisThe development of solar, wind, and nuclear uses much fossil fuels in mining ore, transporting it, manufacturing, the factories, heating for factories, sales, offices, transportation of components, salaries of everyone in the process, that are then spent and then use fossil fuels, and this goes on and on. No, we don't need more electric power. The Peak Oil recession begins this year, and millions will soon be out of work and factories and offices will use less electric power. Eventually, oil production will fall to the point that the power grid can't be maintained (it is highly dependent on oil). That will be the end. See my report for further explanation: http://www.peakoilassociates.com/POAnalysis.html

    cjwirth http://www.peakoilassociates.com

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