Re: [big campaign] RE: CAP/LCV/Sierra Club paper: Cleaner Cars, Less Foreign Oil

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National Security Network just released this analysis of energy security, based off the President's speech and the CAP report. http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/1950 Energy Security, American Security <http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/1950> Report 30 March 2011 As the unrest in the Middle East and spiking energy prices at home have vaulted to the top of public consciousness, President Obama spoke today about the importance of energy security for the nation. Failure to have energy security, as well as the continuing challenge of climate change, are real threats to America's economy and environment. The intertwined threat of these challenges will require both diversifying America's energy sources while reducing energy usage, and creating innovative approaches to handling this challenge. Yet instead of engaging in a serious debate, conservatives are reverting to hackneyed, unserious slogans such as "drill, baby, drill," showing they have no real plans to address the clear and present threats posed by overreliance on oil. *Twin challenges of climate change and energy insecurity are serious threats to U.S. national security.* *Accelerating threats.* The Quadrennial Defense Review states that, "While climate change alone does not cause conflict, it may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions and militaries around the world." [QDR, February 2010<http://www.defense.gov/qdr/images/QDR_as_of_12Feb10_1000.pdf> ] *Dependence on unstable regimes.* "America's billion-dollar-a-day dependence on oil makes us vulnerable to unstable and unfriendly regimes. A substantial amount of that oil money ends up in the hands of terrorists. Consequently, our military is forced to operate in hostile territory, and our troops are attacked by terrorists funded by U.S. oil dollars, while rogue regimes profit off of our dependence. As long as the American public is beholden to global energy prices, we will be at the mercy of these rogue regimes. Taking control of our energy future means preventing future conflicts around the world and protecting Americas here at home." [Letter from 33 retired Generals and Admirals, 4/29/10<http://www.trumanproject.org/posts/2010/05/senior-military-leaders-announce-support-climate-bill> ] *Long, vulnerable supply lines. *"Certainly, for current operations and for the future, one of the things we're really focused on is reducing demand, [which is] reducing our consumption, because no matter what kind of energy we're using, the amount of energy we're using causes us problems in practice - particularly in the kinds of fights we're fighting today where so much of our logistics train is in the battlefield," according to Sharon Burke, director of the Pentagon's operational energy plans and programs. [Sharon Burke, 10/18/10 <http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=61313>] *Increased tensions even in stable parts of the world.* The Center for Naval Analysis, a Navy-funded think tank, writes that, "The U.S. and Europe may experience mounting pressure to accept large numbers of immigrant and refugee populations as drought increases and food production declines in Latin America and Africa. Extreme weather events and natural disasters, as the U.S. experienced with Hurricane Katrina, may lead to increased missions for a number of U.S. agencies, including state and local governments, the Department of Homeland Security, and our already stretched military, including our Guard and Reserve forces." [Center for Naval Analysis, 4/07<http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/National%20Security%20and%20the%20Threat%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf> ] *Staying competitive. *Retired Air Force General Chuck Wald warns that, "We need to remain competitive in the world as we move toward a future of green, sustainable energy. That will keep our debt from growing. Importing less oil means fewer foreign policy impacts and more assured energy for what we need. The biggest motivation to do it is national security... the world is moving on. In energy, there's a need to compete economically. Everything's driving to clean energy in a big way. The technology is there, but you need a market signal... And we can get there through a combination of innovation, policy, and regulation. We need a friendly environment for businesses to invest." [Chuck Wald, CNA, 7/10<http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/WEB%2007%2027%2010%20MAB%20Powering%20America%27s%20Economy.pdf> ] *Current events demonstrate susceptibility of energy markets, and the need for a smart, diversified, approach. *As Brian Katulis and Kate Gordon of the Center for American Progress ask in a recent article, "is it wise for the United States and the global energy markets to be so heavily dependent on a country [Saudi Arabia] whose government seems shaky and lacks popular support?" Katulis and Gordon argue that, "America must wean itself off oil. The Obama administration has already taken several important steps toward this goal, through policies aimed at fuel efficiency, clean fuel technology research and development, and getting more electric vehicles on the road." A new report out today from the Center for American Progress states that, "The recent Middle Eastern democracy movement is inspiring, but it also sparked oil price increases that deliver higher costs to American families. And buying half of our oil from other nations means that instability 10,000 miles away can harm us here. The bottom line is this-imported oil costs too much in dollars and in independence. The United States must take immediate and long-range actions to lower the price of oil in the only way that works-by reducing our use of oil through energy diversification." [Brian Katulis and Kate Gordon, 3/3/11<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/new_saudi_realities.html>. Center for American Progress, 3/30/11<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/pdf/oilsavingsagenda.pdf> ] *Conservatives campaign against market-based energy solutions, offering naïve and disingenuous answers. *Politico reports today on how conservative presidential contenders are fighting to demonstrate who is the most against a market-based solution for transitioning away from foreign oil and towards jobs-producing clean energy: "[Former Minnesota Governor Tim] Pawlenty has been trying for more than a year to distance himself from his work on climate change as governor... Pawlenty responded by acknowledging he's got ‘some clunkers' in his record, just like other possible GOP candidates who served as a governor. He didn't name names, though Pawlenty is clearly referring to the cap-and-trade views taken at various times by several potential Republican candidates, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman." This fight shows that conservatives still don't understand the magnitude of the problem-or they intend to mislead-continuing a trend that goes back to the "drill, baby, drill" slogan touted by conservatives starting in 2008. Katulis and Gordon explain that the slogan is either naïve or disingenuous: "[W]e cannot wean ourselves from the Saudi tap by embracing a ‘drill, baby, drill' agenda. Oil is priced and sold in a world market, even more so today than in the early 1970s. As Ken Green from the American Enterprise Institute points out, even if the United States were able to increase our domestic production to cover 100 percent of our own oil needs, we still would not be able to affect the world oil price. In other words, even if we opened up every possible area in the United States to drilling and exploration, consumers would see the same price spikes at the pump if, say, China's increasing demand for oil caused a global shortage. But in fact the United States is unlikely to ever reach near 100 percent domestic production given that we possess only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves but use almost 25 percent of the world's oil." A Center for Naval Analysis report - from a panel of retired generals and admirals - spells out the bottom line that conservatives don't understand: "Energy business-as-usual is not a viable option for the United States. Continued over-reliance on fossil fuels will increase the risks to America's future economic prosperity and will thereby diminish the military's ability to meet the security challenges of the rapidly changing global strategic environment. By taking bold leadership actions now, the nation can turn the growing energy and economic challenges into great opportunity." [Politico, 3/29/11<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/52133.html>. Katulis and Gordon, 3/3/11<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/new_saudi_realities.html>. CNA, 7/10<http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/WEB%2007%2027%2010%20MAB%20Powering%20America%27s%20Economy.pdf> ] ### And because you've read this far... For more on national security angle on energy and climate, read here <http://www.nsnetwork.org/issues/energy>. On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 11:16 AM, Joshua Dorner < [email protected]> wrote: > As promised, here’s a message memo from a new GQRR poll. Attached and > pasted in as text. > > > > > > March 30, 2011 > > > > *Winning the Debate on Gas Prices* > > *A Strategy for Effective Communications*** > > > > To: > > Interested Parties > > * * > > > > From: > > Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research > > Center For American Progress Action Fund > > Sierra Club > > * * > > > > * * > > > > > > > > *The following memo is based on a national survey of 1,000 likely 2012 > voters (833 landline, 167 cell) conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner > Research. The survey was conducted using a random digit dial process by > professional dialers between March 16th and 20th, 2011. The margin of > error for the survey (overall) at the 95 percent confidence interval is > approximately +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error is higher > among subgroups.*** > > > > High gas prices are at the top of voters’ minds—63 percent say that the > recent increase in gas prices has caused them financial hardship, and 84 > percent believe recent instability in the Middle East and our failure to > pass policies that reduce our dependence on oil are to blame. > > > > > > ** > > A Winning Strategy: Take On The Oil Companies and Offer Solutions > > * * > > *1. **Put the oil companies’ **tax subsidies and enormous profits at > the center of the message. *Voters lay the blame for high gas prices > squarely at the oil companies’ door—a majority of the electorate believes > that oil companies are most to blame for the recent increase in gas prices, > while a significantly smaller percentage blame either political party. > Establishing the bad actors on the issue opens the door for policies that > move us off oil. The oil companies are public enemy number one on the gas > price issue, but the Wall Street speculators and Middle East oil cartels are > not far behind. ** > > > > *The headlines say it all . . .* > > *“Republicans drill for an energy strategy” – *Politico, 3/4/11<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50664.html> > > *“No Apologies: Rep. Barton Defends Tax Breaks For Big Oil*” – ABC News, > 3/9/11<http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/03/no-apologies-rep-barton-defends-tax-breaks-for-big-oil.html> > > *“Top House Republican: Stop 'demonizing' the oil industry” – *The Hill, > 9/1/10<http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/116791-top-house-republican-stop-demonizing-the-oil-industry> > > *“Oil Group Starts Political Giving as Congress Weighs Repeal of Tax > Breaks” – *Bloomberg, 2/24/11<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-24/oil-group-starts-political-giving-as-congress-eyes-subsidies.html> > > *“GOP knocks Democratic proposal to cut oil company tax breaks” – *CNN, > 2/8/11<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/08/gop-knocks-democratic-proposal-to-cut-oil-company-tax-breaks/> > ** > > [image: Rounded Rectangle: Now I am going to read you a list of > organizations, and please tell me which one you think is most to blame for > the recent increase in gas prices?] > > > > *2. **Offer an alternate solution and policy agenda **that centers > on taking on the oil companies through fundamental change. *Voters are > looking for progress and solutions on the oil issue, bringing two factors > into play: 1) the sharp critique of the opposition must pivot to a vision > for the future, and 2) we do not want to reject options and alternatives, as > Americans are open to most solutions. That said, voters strongly favor > proposals that put the opposition on the defensive about defending big oil, > and they believe several big, bold policy changes will also reduce gas > prices now—here are the top four progressive policies that work: > > > > - *End giveaways to oil.* Eliminate the $5 billion in subsidies and > loopholes for oil companies each year > > > > - *Alternative energy.* Require oil companies to contribute a cent on > every dollar in profits to return to taxpayers and invest in alternative > energies. > > > > - *End speculation.* Prohibit Wall Street speculators from artificially > increasing the price of oil. > > > > - *Clean and efficient cars and fuels.* Increase mileage standards for > cars to 60 MPG in the next 15 years. > > > > *3. **Debunk the “all of the above” myth by stating clearly and > firmly that the opposition has voted repeatedly to put oil above all > alternatives. *Despite their claims of being for all of the above, the > GOP record tells a different story. Every time they’ve had the chance, > they have stood in the way of advancing alternative energy to help their big > oil allies make huge profits and raise gas prices. > > > > *House Republicans claim they favor an “all of the above” energy strategy > to lower gas prices. But in the three months since they assumed their new > majority, the GOP has taken 9 votes that would either benefit Big Oil or > slash funding for policies that reduce our dependence on foreign oil – all > while hurting consumers.* > > > > *Pop quiz on the GOP’s “Oil Above All” energy strategy:* > > * * > > *Republicans’ “all of the above” energy plan to reduce gas prices and our > dependence on foreign oil includes which of the following? * > > * * > > > > *a) **Handouts to Big Oil *[House Vote #109, February 18, 2011<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll109.xml>; > #153, March 1, 2011 <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll153.xml>] ** > > *b) **Research and development for energy innovation *[House Vote #147, > February 19, 2011 <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll147.xml>]** > > *c) **High-speed rail investments *[House Appropriations Committee > Cuts, 2011<http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf>; > House Vote #147, February 19, 2011<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll147.xml> > ]** > > *d) **Cleaner biofuels *[House Vote #134, February 19, 2011<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll134.xml> > ] > > *e) **More efficient cars *[*Detroit News*, March 16, 2011<http://detnews.com/article/20110316/AUTO01/103160336/House-gets-bill-to-bar-EPA--Calif.-from-limiting-emissions#ixzz1HGSFQL9o> > ]** > > *f) **Requiring oil companies to produce oil from existing leases** * > [*The Hill*, March 24, 2011<http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/151801-overnight-energy> > ]** > > *g) **Cracking down on oil price speculators *[Republican > Appropriations Committee Cuts, 2011<http://republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf>; > House Vote #147, February 19, 2011<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll147.xml> > ]** > > *h) **All of the above*** > > · *Do not get into a short-term vs. long-term debate.* While the > strongest proposals above are big, structural, and long-term, voters believe > these policies have the potential to create immediate change. As > demonstrated by the figure below, the electorate believes we can get > immediate relief from high gas prices, which mandates a tone that creates > urgency by conveying that “we need major structural changes to move off of > oil, and we need to act immediately to do it.” > > [image: Rounded Rectangle: Please tell me whether the FIRST statement or > the SECOND statement comes closer to your own view, even if neither is > exactly right.] > > > > > > 29%% > > > 21%% > > > * * > > * * > > *Good Messages Must Do 3 Things:* > > *1. *Put people in control, not oil companies > > *2. *Offer solutions (don’t reject alternatives) > > *3. *Express urgency > > *Sample Message* > > * * > > *“We need to act immediately to move away from oil and bring down gas > prices now. The big oil companies are making profits of over 60 billion > dollars a year by taking advantage of Americans who are paying for their gas > twice—first at the pump and then again on tax day. Yet Republicans just > gave another 50 billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies to the oil companies, > after voting 9 times against developing alternative energy. It’s time to end > the giveaways to big oil so we can break their chokehold that keeps us > dependent on Middle Eastern oil. Instead, we should prohibit Wall Street > speculators from artificially driving up oil prices and develop super-efficient > cars, and clean, alternative energy like wind and solar that will create > good jobs here while bringing down gas prices..”* > **** > > * * > > > > > > > > *From:* Tara McGuinness > *Sent:* Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:33 AM > *To:* Joshua Dorner; '[email protected]' > *Subject:* RE: CAP/LCV/Sierra Club paper: Cleaner Cars, Less Foreign Oil > > > > We’ll have more message guidance shortly. > > Tara > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > *On Behalf Of *Joshua Dorner > *Sent:* Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:28 AM > *To:* '[email protected]' > *Subject:* [big campaign] CAP/LCV/Sierra Club paper: Cleaner Cars, Less > Foreign Oil > > > > Just wanted to share this summary with folks ahead of the president’s big > speech on this topic today. > > > > Full paper: > http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/pdf/oilsavingsagenda.pdf > > > > http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/oil_savings_agenda.html > > > Cleaner Cars, Less Foreign Oil A Path to Economic Prosperity and Oil > Security > > *By John Podesta<http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/PodestaJohn.html>, > Carl Pope, Gene Carpinski | March 30, 2011*** > > > > Download the full memo <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/pdf/oilsavingsagenda.pdf> > (pdf) > > Download to mobile devices and e-readers from Scribd<http://www.scribd.com/doc/51895860/Cleaner-Cars-Less-Foreign-Oil> > > > > America is suffering from another oil price shock less than three years > after prices hit a record of $147 per barrel in July 2008<http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-07-11-3815204975_x.htm>. > Over the past month oil prices rose by over $20 per barrel<http://www.livecharts.co.uk/futures_commodities/oil_prices_historical.php>, > or more than 25 percent. This price hike reflects political instability in > many oil-producing Persian Gulf nations. And Wall Street speculators have > preyed upon oil users’ fears about supply interruptions to bid up the price > to over $100 per barrel. > > > > As the price of oil climbs, so too does the price for gasoline. Every > $10-per-barrel<http://www.businessinsider.com/crude-oil-and-gasoline-could-spike-from-gadhafis-long-war-in-libya-guest-post-2011-3> > increase in oil prices boosts gasoline prices by 25 cents per gallon. > Many Americans do not have the option to significantly reduce their driving > or easily buy more fuel-efficient new cars, so they spend more on gasoline > and less on other goods and services. This slows our nation’s still shaky > economic recovery and disrupts job growth. Meanwhile, our economy ships offnearly > a $1 billion per day<http://www.trumanproject.org/files/papers/Oil_Addiction_-_Fueling_Our_Enemies_FINAL.pdf> > to other nations to purchase foreign oil. And higher prices due to > instability and speculation inflate the profits of big oil companies while > Americans’ wages remain stagnant. > > It’s time to get control of volatile oil prices that are hurting our > economy, our security, and the everyday budgets of American families. These > measures are crucial for longterm economic growth, more jobs, and less > dependence on foreign oil. They work together to reduce imports and save > money. > > We propose a bold “Cleaner Cars, Less Foreign Oil” plan that has four > crucial elements. > > § *Cut foreign oil use by 5 percent annually to slash these imports in > half by 2022.* Importing foreign oil sends $1 billion per day to other > countries<http://www.trumanproject.org/files/papers/Oil_Addiction_-_Fueling_Our_Enemies_FINAL.pdf> > instead of investing these dollars at home. Foreign oil purchases are nearly > half of our trade deficit<http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/11/us-trade-deficit-is-half-oil/> > . > > § *Invest in 21st century clean, efficient vehicles and transportation.* We > need to build 21st century cars that get 60 miles per gallon by 2025, trucks > with a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy, and invest in electric cars. > And we need to modernize our transportation infrastructure by providing more > transportation choices to consumers. The domestic manufacture of these cars > and trucks of the future alongside a 21st century transportation network > will dramatically cut oil use, save vehicle owners thousands of dollars, > create jobs, and restore America’s manufacturing might. > > § *End tax loopholes for big oil.* End billions of dollars of tax > giveaways<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/oil_subsidies.html> > to big oil companies. Use these funds to support transportation choices > and deficit reduction. Recover one cent of every dollar of Big Oil profits > to invest in advanced vehicle technologies, such as cars with double the > fuel economy, electric cars, and natural gas powered buses. > > § *Stop speculators from driving up oil prices.* Prohibit Wall Street speculators > from driving up oil prices<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-13/oil-falls-for-a-fifth-day-in-new-york-as-japanese-quake-may-limit-demand.html> > by hiring more “cops on the beat” at the Commodity Futures Trading > Commission to police oil trades. There is evidence that speculators are > driving up oil prices to make a quick buck, just as there were during the > record oil and gasoline prices in 2008. > > > > President Barack Obama and Congress must act to make fundamental changes in > our energy policies. These systemic changes we recommend will enable us to > finally shed the chains of oil dependence after 40 years of imports, high > prices, stagnant growth, and pollution. But we must act now. > > Download the full memo <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/03/pdf/oilsavingsagenda.pdf> > (pdf) > > Download to mobile devices and e-readers from Scribd<http://www.scribd.com/doc/51895860/Cleaner-Cars-Less-Foreign-Oil> > > *John Podesta is President and CEO of the Center for American Progress. > Carl Pope is the Chairman of Sierra Club. Gene Karpinski is the President of > the League of Conservation Voters.* > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" > group. > > To post to this group, send to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] > > E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns > > This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or > organization. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" > group. > > To post to this group, send to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] > > E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns > > This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or > organization. > -- Sara DuBois 410.967.7306 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group. To post to this group, send to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization.