Pass the American Power Act Now
America has faced big challenges before, and as a nation we have always risen to meet them head on. Today, climate change and our addiction to oil pose some of the greatest threats to maintaining our way of life. The U.S. is currently borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Middle East to burn in ways that are destroying our planet. This cycle drastically weakens our national security, is crippling our economy, and has a direct effect on American families. Additionally, the poor in this country and around the world, who are 20 times more likely to be impacted by natural disasters, are the ones most affected. These common interests have led religious leaders and people of faith to join our veterans and military leaders in calling for clean energy legislation. Responding forcefully to the threat of climate change is not only a necessity, it is a test of our national character. The question for our generation is, will we have the courage to face the forces that threaten our way of life and do what is necessary and right to put America on the road to clean, renewable energy?
In the wake of the greatest environmental disaster in the nation’s history, Sarah Palin continues to promote domestic drilling as the solution to America’s energy needs. But she knows that domestic drilling will not even begin to address our dependence on foreign oil. We need a smarter approach to energy independence. The BP oil spill puts in sharp focus why political slogans do not make good policy. Read more
Even after BP failed to properly respond to the explosion in the first critical days, Sarah Palin urged the country to “trust the oil industry.” And when you look at how much money they have paid her, it’s easy to see why she gives that advice. For too long America’s energy policy has been dictated by oil companies who do not have the nation’s interests at heart, but are able to buy our politicians. It is past time for America to invest in clean, renewable energy that will create good jobs here at home and break our dependence on foreign oil. The facts:
If bans on offshore drilling were lifted, it would be 20 years before we reached peak production, at which point our oil imports from foreign countries would be reduced by less than 3%
Even if all available reserves were opened, including the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, and the Rockies, we would not see meaningful increase in domestic production for 5-10 years. By the oil industry’s best estimates, when we reach peak production in 20 years half our oil would still need to come from foreign countries
In the 2008 election the McCain/Palin campaign received $2.4 million in contributions from oil companies. Over the last year, Palin’s political action committee, SarahPAC, has received $20,000 in donations
Clean energy legislation would create 1.7 million new jobs, which alone would reduce the unemployment rate a full percentage point
The clean energy and climate legislation currently proposed in the Senate would cut the federal deficit by $19 billion
Opening ANWAR would produce at most a 12 year oil supply
Palin has gone on record as saying, “With new technology and tiny footprints on land, its safe to drill and we need to do more of that.” The Deepwater Horizon disaster reveals how wrong she is. America does not possess enough oil to support our addiction, and the reserves we do have are increasingly more dangerous to reach. Unless we take steps to get off oil as our primary energy source, we will continue to send billions of dollars per year to countries that are hostile to us and run the risk of even more disasters like the BP spill.
Clean energy legislation is good for the environment, bad for dictators. Every day the Senate waits to pass clean energy legislation, Iran’s repressive regime makes $100,000,000.00 more on the global oil market. The current Iranian regime has been designated by the State Department as a “state sponsor of terrorism” and continues a legacy of oppression, despite strong protests by its citizens. Read more
A report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated that the changes resulting from the clean energy legislation being considered in Congress right now would reduce Iran’s income from oil sales by $100 million per day. The longer we wait, the more we fund our enemies and competitors. Our addiction to foreign oil and the consequences of climate change pose one of the greatest threats facing our military and national security in the coming decades. The facts:
The U.S. sends $500,000 per minute to foreign and hostile regimes that supply us with oil
The expense of securing shipping lanes means the actual cost of gas is close to $10 per gallon
40% of the world’s population gets its drinking water from glaciers that are disappearing
Since the military is one of the largest consumers of energy in the U.S., we are literally fueling our military by funding the enemies they are fighting. Furthermore, climate change has been labeled a “threat multiplier” in a major report by leading three and four-star generals and admirals. Increases in droughts, flooding and inadequate food and water supplies will force vast populations around the globe to migrate, creating ungoverned spaces where terrorism can flourish. Humanitarian crises will also increase, to which our military will be among the first responders.
Click here to read more about the threats facing our military as a result of our addiction on foreign oil and climate change. Read what the Bible has to say about our responsibility to be good stewards of creation.
“There’s really nothing conservative – and certainly nothing evangelical – about a laissez-faire view of a lack of government regulation, because we, as Christians, believe in sin.” – Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico creating the worst environmental disaster in US history. In addition to the ecological devastation, the spill is crippling the economy all along the coast. In the last year, Big Oil and Gas spent $154 million in lobbying. We can no longer allow the oil companies to put profits over people. Read more
The BP spill is already twice the size of the Exxon Valdez as 12,000-25,000 barrels of oil continue to pour into the ocean per day. The oil slick created encompasses 2,000 square miles, larger than the landmass of Delaware. The facts:
BP made $4.3 billion in profits last year in the 4th quarter alone, and spent $15.9 million in lobbying.
Industries in the Gulf could lose $1.6 billion in revenue. Louisiana has lost $1.36 billion in tourism. The spill is costing thousands of jobs and putting families at risk.
A minimum of 400 species are threatened by the spill
Once the gushing flow of oil is finally stopped, the impact of this disaster will continue to be felt long after the clean up. Fishing industries, central to the Gulf economy, will take years to recover. Last year Big Oil and Gas spent $154 million in lobbying, an increase of 16% over the previous year. We can no longer afford to have the oil companies dictate our energy policy. The cost to our economy, God’s creation, and the loss of jobs is too high.
Resources
A Moral Responsibility
National Security
Reenergizing America’s Defense
