President Obama Signs New Executive Orders on Economic and Energy Crisis

[Turborama]

Source: Digital Journal

Barack Obama made strong statements about the energy and economic crisis today. He said he understood that there were considerable numbers of present companies cutting thousands of jobs.

He said the people who have lost their jobs are not just numbers on a page but working men and women. Obama stated that every single American needs to work with a common purpose to help the nation get through its crisis and move ahead. He underlined that is why the country needs the economic recovery plan and that extraordinary times require serious, extraordinary actions.

The President discussed the nation’s reliance on foreign oil that puts the country at the mercy of others. There is also climate change and storms that will shrink coastlines. These are facts, Obama said; there is nothing new about these warnings. Energy independence is important, he reminded his listeners..

Obama reiterated the reasons why things didn’t change, some of which had to do with ideology. Now he declared the nation is in crisis, and we have the resources to change. He said we can risk peril or seek energy independence and that we have to change. He says it will be his policy to reverse the country’s dependence on foreign oil and that he will commit the nation to pursuing a different kind of plan and policy.

These, he says, are the first steps. First, we must create a new energy economy with the comprehensive plan before Congress that will create jobs and open up energy alternatives. Second, we must ensure that the energy-efficient cars and trucks are built in the United States to keep pace with competitors. There will be new model standards by 2011 for cars to be more efficient than they are now. Standards will be at least 35 mph by the year 2020. The Federal government must work with, not against, states in order to reduce greenhouse gases. In the past years the government has worked not with, but against, the states. He used California as an example and what he intends to do to get the Federal government and the states working together. Finally he said he will make it clear that the U.S. is ready to lead, ready to take action, to help others do their part by leading by example.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/265930

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Obama aims for oil independence

BBC

Page last updated at 15:53 GMT, Monday, 26 January 2009

US President Barack Obama has set out his energy principles, calling for America to become energy independent. He called for fuel efficiency linked with an "energy economy" aimed at creating jobs as the US struggles through a financial crisis. He also ordered a review of whether states should be able to set their own standards for vehicle emissions.

Read More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7851038.stm


Obama pushing stronger fuel-efficiency standard

AP

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama ordered the government Monday to re-examine whether California and other states should be allowed to have tougher auto emission standards, a clean break from Bush administration policy.

Jumping into the seemingly never-ending national energy debate, Obama also directed his administration to get moving on new fuel-efficiency guidelines for the auto industry in time to cover 2011 model-year cars.
"For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change," Obama said in his first formal event in the ornate East Room of the White House.

"It will be the policy of my administration," he said, "to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs."


Read More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090126/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_greenhouse_gases

Edit: to update AP story

[pleah]

1. 35 mpg by 2020 is to f'n low!

But, any change I guess is better than none.

[Myrina]

12. Seriously -- car companies have known how to do that for +40 years

It should be between 50-75 mpg and it should be within the next 2 model years.

ALONG WITH transformation of the industry toward vehicles that use alternative means of power AND development of mass transit, and credits/incentives for those who use foot and pedal power in urban areas ...

[Delphinus]

14. Agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed.

I cannot agree with you any more strongly. They took the money - let them live up to what is possible. If it's not on their horizon, that shows why they're in the position of needing a bailout in the first place.

[pleah]

15. That's what I meant.

:crazy: Sorry. If they can make these kind of cars for overseas, then why can't we have them here?

I am pissed off about raising the fuel standard to just 35mpg. I know they have had the technology for years to do better.

[Abq_Sarah]

13. I'm pretty sure they base estimates on current technology

Yes, some vehicles do better than 35mpg but they are not suitable for every location.

If the manufactures came up with as affordable, proven 4WD/AWD vehicle with good ground clearance that got 50+ mpg without the distance limitations we see in gas/electric hybrids, I'd buy one today.

[DCKit]

18. Just watched the exec. editor of Car and Driver on the Newshour...

stating that the smaller cars required to meet these standards would be too expensive ($25K for a compact), underpowered and inherently unsafe.

Given that Car and Driver promotes nothing but "performance" vehicles - even if they're small cars with turbo, huge engines, performance tires, etc.., I have to assume they're sole purpose is PR for Detriot. Additionally, many of the new small cars have 5 Star crash ratings.

With new design (CAD) and materials science, electronic stability control, ESP and airbags, newer cars, regardless of size, are an order of magnitude safer than those built twenty years ago. Several car brands that didn't have a single model listed with the Crash Safety Institute two years ago are currently in compliance with the majority of their offerings.

Finally, Honda is expected to release the new incarnation of the Insight as a five passenger hatchback, at a base price of $20K and with expected combined mileage of 50mpg.

We can have our cake and eat it too.

[pleah]

19. I was watching that, too.

:)

to add: Doesn't matter what they price the cars at for me, I still can't spend that much on a car. I have never owned a new car and I am almost 50yrs. old.

[elleng]

26. Was he challenged?

.

[DCKit]

27. Nope. And it would have been generous calling him "disingenuous".

I'd have called him a lying MF'er.

I rewatched the program again later last night, and his statements were exactly as I said, as well as that the automakers simply couldn't comply within the timeframe - yet they're marketing these same high-mileage cars in Europe, and have been, for years.

Total PR schill for muscle cars, SUVs and trucks - Detroit's big, fat bottom line.

[bstender]

2. more cars is aiming too f'n low

regardless of their mileage.

Personal automobiles in every garage will go down in history as one of the USA's largest malinvestments, as they pick through the wreckage looking for clues.

[zeemike]

3. Agree...good efficient mas transit is the answer.

But I doubt he could sell them on that right now...too much money to be made in the auto industry and oil.

[EnviroBat]

10. Why aren't we building MAG-LEV transit in every major city

in this country? Oh right, I forgot. 10 billion a month for these fucking ridiculous wars on the middle-east.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weWmTldrOyo

[bstender]

16. trains will cut into the oil and auto cashflow

they could do this. the numbers on the advantages of train/transit are a slam dunk. but the oil and automobile and hwy construction lobbysists are more effective than ours.

[Abq_Sarah]

11. You live in a city, right?

Take a good look at a map of the USA and explain how those of us who live in rural areas are going to move from point A to point B without personal automobiles.

[bstender]

17. commute to the city?

take a good look at the numbers of people who have moved out of cities into the country simply because of the availability of cars and you'll see a circular argument.

i agree that people need cars...but mostly because our society has been built specifically to REQUIRE cars for the last 60 some years. and i know how extremely convenient cars are, but it doesnt change the downside of the cars. the societal and environmental costs are staggering to behold. the energy usage is untenable and thus, a whole economy is predicated upon a fatal flaw.

it's time to step away from the car.

i think the Southerners said the same thing when people started telling them that slavery was not in their future. and i think there might be just as much bloodshed if some govt agent tries to take people's cars! they are mighty convenient.

But people way out in the country arent really a significant statistic, it's the cites that are gridlocked and where 98% of the cars are located. that could easily be fixed at a fraction of the cost of repairing the roadways...and the societal benefits go far beyond the simple costs of subsidizing the car.

(long term cyclist and transit enthusiast here who moved deep into the country to pursue a better life from the city and now owns a dreaded car. so i know of what i speak and also understand both sides. but damn it is expensive and mind-numbing to rely on a car in comparison.)

[Abq_Sarah]

20. So what's the solution,

Pack everyone into cities?



I don't think so.

[bstender]

21. why not?

it worked for humanity for millennia. the movement back into density and transit centered communities has been underway for many years btw. and, oh, it is not going to be optional! (unless you are very rich)

the motoring lifestyle is/was a marketing and industrial conspiracy. the trade for that bubble-life is extremely high and losing it will be much better than you might imagine. it is an abberation only made possible by nearly free energy, lots of open land and an empire that was filthy rich. you'll be able to tell your grandkids all about it as they look at you in wide-eyed disbelief.

[Abq_Sarah]

23. Why not?

Believe it or not, there are quite a few of us who don't wish to be assholes to elbows with our neighbors. People in this country moved to cities because that's where the jobs were, not because they adored living in crowded little apartments and being jostled in the streets. The personal vehicle is never going to go away, no matter how much you might want to dictate how the rest of us live. ;)

[bstender]

24. the american lifestyle is not negotiable?

what good is it being american if you can't use energy at ten times the rate of the 3/4 worlders!

sorry, i wasnt dictating how you live, just giving you a clue what's coming down the pike. don't shoot the messenger

[Abq_Sarah]

25. It's not coming down the pike.

That's alarmist crap.

[lostnotforgotten]

4. Too Low (35 MPG) Too Slow (2020) - Come On Obama Let's Get It In Gear!

eom

[jsamuel]

5. not enough, always had problems with Obama on this issue

[wildflower]

6. "...climate change and storms that will shrink coastlines. These are facts, Obama said"

Finally a president who comes out and says these things right out in the open, rather than pretending it's not happening.

[Moostache]

7. Too little too late...

The consumer-based global economy is DEAD! As is the idea of exponential growth in a closed system - especially one with such amazing income and wealth distribution disparities as what we see now...

Putting any money into tax cuts to "spur spending" is laughably stupid....do any of the people suggesting this shit bother to THINK any more???? If people are in debt up to their eyeballs, underwater on their mortgages, losing jobs by the tens of thousands and cutting back in all segments of the economy, what in the hell makes ANYONE believe that giving people more tax cuts will result in anything other than hording of cash or further attempts to pay down debts (at least until runaway inflation strikes)????

Strip out every tax cut in the bill.
If we must have some kind of "tax relief" it should be structured in the context of tax credits and subsidies for renewable energy - localized solar collection (solar water heaters and solar roof shingles to augment the existing utilities) as well as fundamental research and development of enhance geothermal, wind, tidal and low-flow hydro-electric generation.

If Obama is going to have to ramrod this legislation through Congress anyway, then he might as well strip out the things that Republicans say they want to 'consider' the bill. They wanted tax cuts, so the bill has tax cuts and they STILL say no go....well, fine, then take out the cuts, increase the spending and move on to the medical system ASAP...

[bstender]

9. pretty much 100% agreement with you

the only thing i like about tax cuts is reducing the amount money that the Fed can flush down the toilet for us (and saving it is what i will do for sure)

the whole 'stimulus' package is a Trojan Horse. we're being hornswaggled!

but the fix is in, some well connected people will have a nice cash flow for a couple of years. it won't stimulate the economy other than forcing everyone to work harder for less money to pay off the additional debt, but they'll tell us it was 'with the best intentions'. oh and, "it was because the GOP didnt let us spend enough!"

investing in trains and solar though, makes good sense in any economic climate. but govt is not about 'making sense', that is where the free market people have it right imo.

[Turborama]

8. The White House Blog: From Peril to Progress

Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 11:48 am

"This moment of peril must be turned to one of progress," President Barack Obama said this morning, as he signed his first two Presidential Memoranda aimed at getting us on the path to energy independence.

In what he called "a down payment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," President Obama directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish higher fuel efficiency standards for carmakers' 2011 model year. The standard, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), was established in 1975 in the wake of the Arab Oil Embargo.

The second memo paves the way for California and more than a dozen other states to raise emissions standards above and beyond the national standard. They'd asked to do so before, but the Bush administration had denied the request.

"Instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way," President Obama said. "The days of Washington dragging its heels are over."

Before he opened his remarks, President Obama took a moment to address the new raft of bad economic news of the past few days -- including job cuts at Microsoft, The Home Depot, and Sprint/Nextel.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Fromperiltoprogress/">We will update this post with full remarks shortly

[Turborama]

22. "The 65 MPG Ford the U.S. Can't Have" - Congress needs to CHANGE anomalies like this, NOW!

I put up an article about this a while ago and have in in my journal...
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama