Independence-(n)

__Shawn__ __Fact Sheet: Earth Day 2006: Developing New Transportation Technology__. The White House, President George W. Bush. 22 Apr. 2006  This press release from the President’s Office of the Press Secretary outlines the administrations commitment to a cleaner environment. This outline covers: cleaner air, purer water, protecting the land, and improving national parks. This release also discusses the Advanced Energy Initiative, which is designed to pursuer cleaner, more efficient energy technologies including: hydrogen fuel, hybrid vehicles, and “plug-in” hybrids. All of the press releases from the Whitehouse I will discuss herein should be taken with a grain of salt. They are largely propaganda pieces to push the President’s platform. All the press releases I will list, however, do outline what the federal government is trying to do regarding strategic implementation of alternative energy sources. This is raw information direct from the source of the policies (the Whitehouse) before it has been vetted by the media and the President’s opposition (including the Democrats and environmental groups). __Twenty in Ten: Strengthening Energy Security and Addressing Climate Change__. The White House, President George W. Bush. 14 May 2007  This release discusses the President’s directive to Federal Agencies to implement regulations that will reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20% over the next 10 years. It also discusses the legislative proposals the Administration has sent to Congress to help achieve these goals. It also reviews steps the President is taking to regulate motor vehicle emission and further outlines steps the administration has taken to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy sources. __Transcript from President’s Radio Address Re: In Focus: Energy__. The White House, President George W. Bush. 10 Feb. 2007  In this transcript, the President speaks almost exclusively about the potential for bipartisan cooperation on his energy policy. These policies include advances in new energy technologies such as: biodiesel, lithium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. This source also reviews the President’s “Twenty in Ten” goals for reducing dependency on fossil fuels. This policy includes $2.7 billion dollars to expand alternative energy research. __National Energy Awareness Month, 2006__. The White House, President George W. Bush. 12 Oct. 2006  In this proclamation by the President, he comments on the efforts his administration is making to improve energy efficiency and conservation with the Advanced Energy Initiative. He further discusses solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear power, and then proclaims the month of October of National Every Awareness Month. __Fact Sheet: Presidents Bush’s Four-Part Plan to Confront High Gasoline Prices__. The White House, President George W. Bush. 25 Apr. 2006  This release describes the Administrations four part plane to confront high gas prices. The fourth step is related to alternative energy. The President calls on Congress to support his Advanced Energy Initiative, which proposes three ways to reduce gas consumption: increasing the use of ethanol, improving hybrid vehicles, and developing hydrogen technology. The President also pushes other alternatives to regular gasoline including: cellulosic ethanol (from wood chips, stalks, and switch grass), biodiesel fuel, and “plug-in hybrids” (which are charged from a standard electrical outlet). Goozner, Merrill. “Can Government Go Green? The Opportunity is There, but Market Forces Alone Won’t Realize It.” __The American Prospect__ 17.4 (April 2006): pA20(2) This four page magazine article discusses the federal government’s role in implementing alternative energy sources from President Carter through the current administration. The author is not too impressed with the current President’s energy policy of 2005, and feels it falls way short. In the U.S. market, the demand for hybrids, solar installations, and wind power has risen 30 percent annually. This article concludes with discussing the three energy consumption sectors in the U.S.: transportation, electricity generation, and the industrial/commercial/residential sectors. Some useful background information can be found here. Did you know that the U.S. spends $200,000 a minute on foreign oil! Read more about these stats in this article. Renner, Michael. “The Killing of U.S. Alterative Energy R&D.” __World Watch__ 14.5 (Sept. 2001): p11 This article reviews the U.S. government’s energy research and development funding from President Carter through the current President. This funding has fluctuated greatly throughout the terms of these Presidents, peaking at 275 billion in 1978, to 50 billion under President Bush, Sr., to a level of 100 billion under President George W. Bush in 2001. This is a brief article, but it is full of very useful federal funding information ______________________________