Admit it: Jimmy Carter Was Right
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.15.08
Jimmy Carter in his Famous Cardigan Sweater
At least that is what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says, and they might have a bias. However they do point out that:
- He was right in seeking to raise the fleet auto mileage standard to 48 miles per gallon by 1995. (Even U.S. automakers admitted at the time that they could easily achieve 30 mpg by 1985.)
- Carter was right in exhorting Americans to turn down their thermostats, even if he did look nerdy in a cardigan while urging us to do so.
- He was right to encourage fuel conservation by proposing a 50-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a fee on imported oil —- in effect, a floor for fuel prices.
- Invoking the pioneering spirit of the 1960s moon mission, he was right to recommend a tax on windfall oil profits to finance a crash program to develop affordable synthetic fuels.
- Carter was correct, too, in setting a goal of obtaining 20 percent of our energy from solar power by the year 2000.
Jimmy Carter with solar panel at White House. Ronald Reagan ripped it off.
The ACJ continues with a description of today's leadership:
Failure To Lead
"Our leaders' idea of promoting alternative energy is touting future, nonexistent technologies, and that false savior, ethanol. Ethanol consumes nearly as much fuel to make as it produces, while collaterally raising food prices and damaging the environment.
The latest panacea is drilling in the Arctic and offshore, a short-term solution of dubious value that is wildly popular among oilmen and congressmen up for re-election, and in the Bush administration —- which evidently hopes to use high gasoline prices as a wedge for opening off-limits areas to exploration for its Big Oil constituency.
Meanwhile, Congress has failed to take the simple step of renewing federal tax credits for wind and solar power that will expire at year's end. How have our perceived options become so narrow and skewed?
It is because without any public debate, a de facto U.S. energy policy has evolved and is now in place: to cling ever tighter to our oil-based economy and its lucrative profits for the scions of the status quo, and to marginalize all who are not on board with this.
And now we are in the exact bind that Carter tried to prevent three decades ago. Acting with promptness difficult to fathom today, our elected leaders then enacted year-round daylight-saving time, dropped the speed limit to 55 and established government price controls. And oh so fleetingly, we downsized what we drove. All gone." Atlanta Constitution-Journal
Now there are some other items in Carter's resume that don't look so good today, like the Iran hostage crisis and the Olympic boycott, and his recent activities have been questioned by some, but when it came to energy, the nuclear engineer and farmer seems to have known what he was talking about...
Thanks for the post Treehugger. Its always great to focus on the great things he did and continues to do. I wasnt aware (was too young) but I see the great things this man tried and continues to strive for. Theres a long list.
Kudos!
Thank you Jimmy! I was 15 when Reagan was elected and I was convinced back then, and have always remained convinced, that you were right.
And where's your sweater, Mr President?
Jimmy Carter has a high IQ, sadly - for the US and the world - George Bush doesn't.
Carter was right about the problem an some of the solutions. Problem was that he spun the effort as sacrifice and pain, and folks didn't want to hear that. Didn't help that he caught the Vietnam fallout of unemployment, inflation and returning vets with nothing to do.
Reagan's first act on entering the White House was to remove the panels Carter had installed - sent a message.
People absolutely hated the 55 mph speed limit. They ridiculed the cardigan. They didn't appreciate double daylight savings time either, with kids heading off to school pre-dawn.
Synfuels was an absolutte boondoggle that would have caused enormous environmental destruction.. Automakers kind of choked on providing fuel efficiency coupled with low emissions, though mostly that was their own disinclination to tackle the problem.
But a lot of it was very successful, and what's being done today had its roots in pioneering work started then. Carter had an actual program and did something about it. Much better than going hat in hand to the Saudis, and coming away empty.
Carter may have been right about the actions he proposed would reduce our dependency on foreign oil and cut back on emissions; though without following through with any sort of legislation...that is all it ever amounted to...words. His administration straddled the second oil crisis. If it were AIDS, drug-trafficking, or any other hot-button issue he would have said the same warm and fuzzy stuff to make the voters happy that said crisis was being 'handled.'
People in the U.S. still feel compelled to drive their trendy 9mpg Hummers around town, tossing that bottled water out the window, with the air conditioning blasting in their home even though they are not there to enjoy it.
Yes, I'm a cynic. I have yet to observe or read about any President or Congress that has made such drastic changes that we all agree would benefit the climate and our own lives. Now, local communities on the other hand, you guys report on how successful they can be day in and day out.
"Now there are some other items in Carter's resume that don't look so good today, like the Iran hostage crisis"
Some people still believe that the delay of the release of the Iran hostages was a result of dirty tricks by the Reagan/Bush ticket during the presidential campaign. They wanted to avoid an October Surprise, whereby the Iranians freed the hostages and Carter's popularity shot through the roof.
The original research, done by Gary Sick, who was the principal White House aide for Persian Gulf affairs from 1976 to 1981, was pretty persuasive (even though 2 congressional hearings found no conclusive evidence).
By the way, it wasn't like the Reagan White House didn't have dirty deals with the Ayatollah later on. In the Iran-Contra scandal, Reagan's White House traded weapons to Iran for money that was then funneled to the Nicaraguan Contras.
To admit that Jimmy was right ,everyone here should surender to Fascism.
"....SOME OTHER ITEMS that don't look so good..."?
Thank you Jimmy the "DHIMMI" for allowing the worst most insane islamic regime in our recent history to run roughshod over us ( while praying in the Rose Garden for 444 days for divine intervention) and thank you for continuing to support Hamas and Hizbolah while demonizing Israel the greatest democractic success story in the history of the Middle East and only true US ally.
What ever small efforts made in the name of energy indpendance he made, pale in face of his boundless ignorance on the threat of izlam that we faced then and now. Thank you for all your efforts in helping the islamic enemy destroy us .
Carter stagnated us with the 55 mph speed limits instead of bolstering fuel economy standards which would have given the US of A a tech advantage on fuel efficient cars that go 65 mph and have a 45 mpg rate we got left behind by the rest of the world.
Progress in fuel efficiency was brought to a stop because of congress lack of foresight.
instead of mandating cars be made more fuel efficient year after year they made 55 mph laws which crippled our car sales overseas for a long time
55 mph doesn't help us now and most folks then ignored the law then until they get traffic tickets even then some didn't care.
most everything else was right on par though.
I agree with Jon. Carter may have been right on many things, but I'm glad the synthetic fuel program never took off. It would have been a money waste until the last couple years when oil finally got up the price that could support it. And meanwhile we'd be leveling the Rockies, one mountain at a time to dig up oil shale.
If anyone is interested in reading an opinion piece on this from a recent issue of a Boulder, Colorado independent newspaper, here's a link: http://www.boulderweekly.com/20080626/danishplan1.html
@Joe Kaffir:
"Thank you for all your efforts in helping the islamic enemy destroy us ."
Some faith you have in our country... The United States, or more specifically the Constitution of the United States, will never be destroyed by a foreign power. We may bleed, but as long as one true American lives, the idea will live on forever. The only way to destroy America is from within as the Bush-Cheney regime is doing right now by dividing us with fear. It's certainly working on you.
Carter doesn't support Hamas or Hezbollah. Check your facts and your sources, buddy. You sound like you've got too much Limbaugh on the brain.
Fact Check. The CAFE gasoline mileage standards were signed into law by President Nixon, not Carter. That is worth mention. The other sad truth is that Democrats had a majority in the House and Senate from 1992 to 1994 with Al Gore in the white house. They were never restored because democrats are spineless and will do anything for more votes. That is the inconvenient truth. CAFE is not mentioned in the movie. Carter was rare. I recall watching Carter on TV in his state of the Union asking all folks to turn down the thermostat. I also recall asking my dad asking me to put on a sweater as I complained. RIP Dad, and RIP true leadership. I wish I could find that Carter video archived somewhere.
When I read about the actions of Jimmy Carter, I am often struck by the accuracy and depth of his understanding of situations, but just as struck at how awful his action plans and proposals were.
For example, he correctly assessed that it was wrong to topple the leader of Iran and impose the Shah, as we did, but to immediately cut off support was not the best way to deal with it...we all know how that went down.
Another example was when he found out about 1,000 CIA agents that were up to no good and had them fired...it was motivated by a good thought, but those people became free agents (pun accidental) and have stirred up a lot of problems behind the scenes since then. There needed to be a plan to handle them.
On the other hand, if followed some of his better plans, we would be better off.
I certainly think Ronald Reagan took unfair advantage of a national tragedy. And frankly, Carter has never really whined to much about how badly he's been mistreated. He remains presidential.
An Hour Before Daylight is a great book with lessons for green living! I hope to find a copy of the book on CD, read by Jimmy himself!
the only reason why they some what improved from daddy bush time to bill clinton's was because he almost forced them to and the only one that complied at the time was toyota the other company's tried to go threw loop holes like the smog check system which killed the electric car of 90's
Carter may have been right about some things - I never understood why Reagan took the solar panels off the White House - however, this windfall tax bit is for the birds - if you tax industries, they will simply take their money and go elsewhere - at least if you tax heavily or unfairly. Look at Tiger Woods, he moved from tax-crazy California, and saved enough money to pay for his mansion! One must remember that government is not hard at work trying to spend our money wisely, as we perhaps thought in the 50's - government is addicted to heavy taxation like a heroin addict is to their drug - they want more, more, more - and the more expensive it gets for businesses to operate in certain states or countries, the more these states and countries loose the huge revenues these industries generate. Also, I am much more in favor of learning to do things better and more efficiently than to "suffer" by being cold, or hot.
Right now, Carter looks like Cassandra. The Bad News is that Cassandra was ignored.
I signed up because of the Jimmy Carter article. He was right and I've lived by it since back in the day....... in spite of the "me" generation greed. America had better do more than hope that it doesn't get any worse because I see most americans as weak, and when they can't get clean water to bathe, they will buckle under in a pool of tears.
Carter was right? About what? Double digit inflation? Fuel Economy standards that Righard Nixon signed into law or solar panels on the white house Ronald Reagan took down because it cost more to maintain them than they were worth? Or because his knowledge of foreign policy got our embassy attacked and our citizens held hostage for 444 days!
Yeah, Carter was right! Right to be licked out of the white house by an overwhelming majority of U.S. Citizens
Not even close. The environmental movement will aways be 10th fiddle until they understand why. But then you can be irrelevant if you want.....technology will make your movement irrelevant soon. Not because of your whining but because of us testosterone soaked hard core engineers who invent and design things. For the most part the environmental movement is just a way for people without technical talents to feel relevant in a world that is more technical with everyday that passes.
At first, I couldn't figure out why a post titled "Jimmy Carter was right" had all those appologetic sounding and irrelevant caveats at the end. It's a post about energy policy, who cares what he did with the Olympics?
Then I read the comments. Whew! You can't say anything good about anyone without people complaining and kvetching to high heaven.
My advice, don't worry about the complainers. Don't sugar coat compromise for them. Don't bend over backwards to show you understand different points of view.
Carter was right. If we'd adopted his energy policies we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. It's a reasonable and well thought out premise. And that's enough.
Glad to see most commenters agreeing.