Markey: State of the Union Ignores Dire State of the Planet: Rhetoric vs. Reality

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Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: State of the Union Ignores Dire State of the Planet

Claims of Energy and Climate Advances Not Supported By Facts—Rhetoric vs. Reality Included Below

WASHINGTON (January 28, 2008) – Tonight President George Bush will discuss energy and climate issues in his final State of the Union address. During President Bush’s tenure, oil has risen from $26 per barrel to spiking above $100 barrel, and total U.S. heat-trapping emissions have risen by more than 3 percent, and by more than 210 million metric tons in carbon dioxide equivalent--about the same as the total yearly output of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden combined.

Below is the statement of Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming:

“Too often, President Bush has used positive rhetoric to mask the reality that on his watch, the United States has undermined, not reinforced, the international effort to cap the emissions of heat-trapping gases that endanger the planet. In his short-sighted concession to ignore real solutions to global warming in favor of expediency and special interests, he is risking the fate of the world. History is not likely to judge this legacy kindly.

“But we in the Congress intend to give this president opportunities in his final year to reverse his pattern of negligence when it comes to global warming and be part of kick-starting a green revolution in our country. The president asked Congress to ‘cooperate for results’ tonight – I hope he will follow his own advice.”

Below are some of President Bush’s major claims on energy and global warming from his speech and accompanying policy papers:

Bush claim: In his speech, Bush will say, “To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology.  Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil.”

Reality:  President Bush threatened a veto on the tax portion of the recently-passed energy bill, which included major incentives for a new generation of clean energy, incentives that would have heralded a new era in green technology development. He also opposes any mandatory cap-and-trade bill that would unleash the technology to meet the climate challenge by setting a price on carbon emissions. The Select Committee and Congress will push to enact a cap-and-trade bill for the president to sign this year.

Bush claim: “We must continue changing the way America generates electric power through even greater use of clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power.” (Policy paper)

Reality: President Bush threatened a veto on the Renewable Electricity Standard that was then not included in the recently-passed energy bill, a provision that would have brought a new generation of clean, renewable energy to every American state.

Bush claim: “President Bush is committing $2 billion over the next three years to create a new international clean energy technology fund to help confront climate change worldwide.” (Policy paper)

Reality: Incentives for the deployment of low-carbon energy technologies to the developing world can play an important role in combating climate change, but financial carrots and voluntary measures alone are not enough to address this urgent crisis. They must be part of a comprehensive strategy. Without U.S. leadership on the home front, in the form of mandatory measures to reduce global warming pollution, we are just tinkering around the edges of the climate crisis.

Bush claim: “President Bush supports an increase in the use of nuclear power as a clean, safe, and affordable alternative energy source to meet America's growing needs for electricity.  Nuclear power produces no greenhouse gases, and a growing number of people believe it is an environmentally necessary choice.  Without its use, power sector CO2 emissions would have been 28 percent greater in the electricity industry in 2005 – nearly equal to the annual emissions from all 136 million passenger cars in the U.S..” (Policy paper)

Reality: Addressing one major problem does not require creating—or in this case recreating—another. While the horror of Chernobyl may have faded somewhat from the minds of many, nuclear energy’s poisonous legacy of waste, its uncompetitive economic nature, and the threat it poses to global security remains alive and well. After decades of multi-billion dollar handouts to the nuclear industry, no new nuclear plants have been built because nuclear power’s bad economics make it unacceptable in the private capital market.

Bush claim: “President Bush seeks to fund new technologies that can produce power from coal with significantly lower carbon emissions. Coal is America's most abundant and affordable energy resource, responsible for generating about 50 percent of America's electric power. We are now cutting harmful air pollution from coal, and we have to learn to cut CO2.” (Policy paper)

Reality: With the enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Congress has taken the lead in pushing for the development of carbon capture and sequestration technology to dramatically reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. The act authorizes over $2 billion in funding for carbon capture and sequestration demonstration projects over the next five years. Research and development spending alone, however, will not solve this problem. Until we cap CO2 emissions from power plants – which this administration has steadfastly opposed – coal-fired power plants have no incentive to control these emissions.

Bush claim: “The President will reaffirm the United States' commitment to work with major economies and through the UN to complete an international agreement that will slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.  This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride.” (Policy paper)

Reality: Although the Bush administration now appears to have abandoned its outright denial of the global warming crisis, it is rightly viewed worldwide as one of the major obstacles to an effective international agreement to combat global warming. The United States is still the largest emitter of global warming pollution, yet the Bush administration has steadfastly opposed any meaningful domestic caps on carbon emissions. If the President really wants to show his commitment to reaching a global climate agreement, he can start by announcing his support for a domestic economy-wide cap and trade program that will reduce U.S. global warming pollution.  Only when the United States shows leadership on the home front will other countries will have an reason to join in a meaningful global agreement.

Bush claim: “This week, the United States will host the second Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change.  President Bush announced this initiative in May 2007 to work with all of the world's largest energy users, including both developed and developing nations, to produce a detailed contribution from the leaders of these countries to help establish an international agreement by 2009 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In September, the U.S. hosted representatives of 17 world leaders plus the United Nations.” (Policy paper)

Reality: The main goal of the Major Economies Meeting is to distract from the UN process for developing a new global climate agreement by 2009.  This set of parallel meetings is part and parcel of the Bush Administration’s continuing strategy to procrastinate on global warming, rather than taking action.

Bush claim: “In December, the United States joined the global consensus at the UN Climate Conference in Bali to launch a comprehensive "roadmap" for global climate negotiations. The Bali Action Plan is a critical first step in moving the UN negotiation process forward toward a comprehensive and effective post-2012 arrangement by 2009. The United States looks forward to participating in the negotiations envisioned in the Bali Action Plan, including through the Major Economies Process and other appropriate channels to achieve an effective outcome.” (Policy paper)

Reality: In the face of an historic international diplomatic push, the Bush administration was forced to agree to the Bali Action Plan, but not until after substantially weakening this agreement by refusing to include the goal of stopping the growth in global emissions of heat-trapping gases in the next 10-15 years.

Bush claim: “We must increase our domestic supply of oil in a prudent and environmentally sensitive way. The President urges Congress to pass legislation that opens access to domestic energy sources in the Outer Continental Shelf and Alaska and that protects America against supply disruptions by doubling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.” (Policy paper)

Reality: Over the last few years, we have discovered once and for all that there is no such thing as "environmentally-sensitive" oil drilling. 2006 saw the largest spill in the history of North Slope operations in Alaska when a BP pipeline spilled over 250,000 gallons of oil onto the Arctic tundra. In the face of increasing oil prices and global warming, America should be looking towards ways to use less oil, not drill for more.

Moreover, right now, drilling is already allowed in areas in the Outer Continental Shelf holding roughly 80 percent of the estimated oil and gas resources. In fact, of the 8,000 active leases oil companies hold in the Gulf of Mexico, more than 6,000 have yet to begin producing oil.

Bush claim: “President Bush is dedicated to strong growth in renewable electricity generation.  Since 2001, wind power in the U.S. has grown 550 percent and photovoltaic solar power grown by 525 percent; overall, renewable power has nearly doubled. The U.S. led the world in new wind capacity in 2006 and 2007.  The President’s Solar America Initiative – launched in 2006 – doubled U.S. investment in solar energy. The U.S. leads the world in geothermal electricity generation, with almost 3,000 megawatts of new capacity planned for development in the West.” (Policy paper)

Reality: The President's Solar America Initiative sets a goal of providing 5-10 gigawatts of new electric capacity (enough to power 1-2 million homes) to the U.S. grid. However, the President threatened to veto the energy bill over language that would created a Renewable Electricity Standard and gone much farther -- requiring that up to 15 percent of our electricity be generated from renewable sources by 2020. As a result of the opposition of the White House and Senate Republicans the Renewable Electricity Standard was ultimately pulled from the energy bill. We must immediately extend the Production Tax Credit and the Investment Tax Credit in order to ensure that the development of renewable resources will not derail and we must pass a national Renewable Electricity Standard to create the long-term investment and market certainty that will unleash the renewable revolution.

Bush claim: “In December, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which responded to his "Twenty in Ten" challenge in last year's State of the Union Address to improve vehicle fuel economy and increase alternative fuels.  Taken together, these programs will cumulatively reduce projected greenhouse gas emissions by more than six billion metric tons by 2030, according to preliminary estimates.”

Reality: After issuing numerous veto threats on the comprehensive energy package approved by the Democratic-led House, the President finally signed a portion of the proposal which included the landmark agreement to raise fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020 and make a major commitment to developing alternatives to oil. But in opposing both a 15% renewable electricity standard and a tax package that would have closed tax loopholes for oil companies in favor of incentives for renewable energy, the President demonstrated where his loyalties and priorities still lie.

In the coming year, Congress will work hard to pass an economy-wide cap-and-trade bill that commits America to solving the energy and climate crises. If these issues truly are priorities, the President now has a golden opportunity to lead by supporting and signing a comprehensive cap-and-trade bill.

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