I've heard a fair bit of commentary on Obama's Oval Office Address from last night. The one that strikes me with as most surprising is that it wasn't detailed enough. I was happy to hear one person in the MSM say the speech covered all the bases, and many won't be surprised that it was Big Ed. Thanks Big Ed. I hope that he goes into the details on his show today, because quite honestly, there was some red meat to be had. Some highlights include admitting the failure that is the MMS, announcing a Tennessee Valley Authority-like organization, the Gulf Coast Restoration Commission, acknowledging that, OMG, oil is a finite resource, and issuing a call to America for, yes indeed, an Apollo-like program for renewable energy.
The outline and details below the fold.
First, the outline, which was compiled from the transcript:
- The BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is the worst environmental disaster in American History.
The combination of the deepness of the well and the volume of oil make it uniquely challenging to solve.
- The damage from this disaster will be economically and environmentally severe and will impact us for years to come.
Likewise the response will go on for as long as needed.
- We expect to reduce the flow of oil by 90% in the coming weeks
3.1 Relief well is still the only 100% solution... completion expected by August
3.2 Energy Secretary Chu, a Nobel Prize winning Physicist, has led a technology innovation team to reduce flow until then
- Cleanup has already begun
4.1 Led by Admiral Allen
4.2 Over 30,000 personnel are involved
4.3 17 thousand more National Guard will be activated.
4.4 5.5 million linear feet of boom have been deployed
4.5 Construction approved to build barrier islands
4.6 Millions of gallons of oil have been recovered or burned
4.7 Oil on the shores is being cleaned up
4.8 Claims are being processed
- Despite all these efforts, damage is done and will continue
5.1 President is personally meeting with BP to establish an independently controlled fund to pay for damages
5.2 BP will not control fund
5.3 Payments for economic and environmental damages will be paid from fund
- Establishing a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan
6.1 Led by Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus
6.2 Plan will be designed by those impacted: states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists and other Gulf residents.
6.3 Will be paid for by BP
- This type of disaster must never happen again. Establishing new regulatory standards
7.1 Current safety guidelines were not followed on BP Deepwater Horizon
7.2 We will find out why, a National Commission has been established to find out why
7.3 Commission will establish new standards to prevent this disaster
7.4 Deepwater drilling has been stopped until we have answers
- MMS is a failure
8.1 Salazar did not do enough to fix the MMS
8.2 MMS will be completely reorganized
8.3 Influence of oil industry must be completely removed from oversight agencies
- No matter how much oversight and regulation, Drilling for Oil is Risky. America needs a New Energy Initiative
9.1 We must end our dependency on Fossil Fuels
9.2 We've already made changes to reduce, but we must be bolder
9.3 Everyone must participate in the transition from fossil fuels to Renewables
9.4 America has made big changes in the past, they can make the change to stop using Fossil Fuels
Some of these points have been debated here, and that is fine. But as far as a 20-minute address from the Oval Office goes, this hit every point it needed to. Now, time for the red meat. These are some excerpts that cover the big-ticket items:
The failure that is the MMS
When Ken Salazar became my Secretary of the Interior, one of his very first acts was to clean up the worst of the corruption at this agency. But it’s now clear that the problem there ran much deeper, and the pace of reform was just too slow. And so Secretary Salazar and I are bringing in new leadership at the agency -- Michael Bromwich, who was a tough federal prosecutor and Inspector General. And his charge over the next few months is to build an organization that acts as the oil industry’s watchdog -- not its partner.
This is not only an admission that reform was needed, but they did not do enough to reform the agency. That will change, and I believe him.
The Commitment to a TVA-like Authority for the Gulf Coast Region
That’s why we must make a commitment to the Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment.
I make that commitment tonight. Earlier, I asked Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, who is also a former governor of Mississippi and a son of the Gulf Coast, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan as soon as possible. The plan will be designed by states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists and other Gulf residents. And BP will pay for the impact this spill has had on the region.
Peak Oil and the Dangers of Continuing to Drill (an admission you've never heard from a President before)
oil is a finite resource. We consume more than 20% of the world's oil, but have less than 2% of the world's oil reserves. And that's part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean - because we're running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water.
For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered. For decades, we have talked and talked about the need to end America's century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked - not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.
The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight. Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be here in America. Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil. And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude.
And the Absolute Best for Last: A Call To America To Abandon Fossil Fuel
We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now. Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny.
This is not some distant vision for America. The transition away from fossil fuels is going to take some time, but over the last year and a half, we’ve already taken unprecedented action to jumpstart the clean energy industry. As we speak, old factories are reopening to produce wind turbines, people are going back to work installing energy-efficient windows, and small businesses are making solar panels. Consumers are buying more efficient cars and trucks, and families are making their homes more energy-efficient. Scientists and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that someday will lead to entire new industries.
Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of us. As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs -– but only if we accelerate that transition. Only if we seize the moment. And only if we rally together and act as one nation –- workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors.
Now, there are costs associated with this transition. And there are some who believe that we can’t afford those costs right now. I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy -– because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater.
I am damn proud of my President for having the courage to make these statements and monumental admissions while establishing a progressive energy agenda. I say to hell with the pundits. It only takes a bit of listening and reading to understand that last night was an historic moment for America and that President Obama made history.