EnergyIndependence
Posted February 1, 2009
Every American should read ¿A Declaration of Energy Independence: How Freedom from Foreign Oil Can Improve National Security, Our Economy, and the Environment¿ by Jay Hakes. <BR/><BR/>I believe this book will become the defining introduction to the subject/issue of energy independence. <BR/><BR/>Ron Bengtson<BR/>Founder<BR/>www.AmericanEnergyIndependence.com
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Posted August 17, 2008
The energy crisis is upon us and shows no signs of long term relief. Face it, $3.00 a gallon gas will only exist in stories we tell our children and grandchildren. The question of how we went from abundance to bust is complex. Often we¿re just as much to blame as the oil companies and OPEC. No one explains this better than Jay Hakes, the former head of the US Department of Energy¿s Energy Information Administration. Mr. Hakes has written a highly readable book entitled ¿A Declaration of Energy Independence¿ which outlines not only how we got were we are but perhaps more importantly, what to do about it. If you¿re looking for answers about what we can do about the energy crisis, start with this book.
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More About This Textbook
Overview
"Hakes argues persuasively that the United States can end its damaging dependence on foreign oil. He tells the story of failures and surprising successes in federal energy policies of the last forty years, and where we need to go in the future. Both a careful scholar and a realistic veteran of state and federal government, Hakes has written an important book that provides workable solutions to our nation's energy problems."
—Former President Jimmy Carter
In response to the oil crises of the 1970s, America developed a bipartisan energy policy that made us safer, greener, and far less dependent on foreign oil. It was so successful that American oil imports fell by fifty percent and greenhouse gas emissions dropped nine percent in just five years. How was this possible, and how can we do it again?
A Declaration of Energy Independence—written by one of the country's top energy experts—outlines seven economically and politically viable paths to energy independence. It also answers the questions many Americans have been asking:
Editorial Reviews
Library Journal
This readable history of recent U.S. energy policy by a former Carter administration energy bureaucrat who now heads the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is, not surprisingly, most laudatory when considering his former boss's efforts in the energy portfolio. Looking back at the period from 1977 to 1982 (when oil imports dropped by half), Hakes notes the two- to six-year time lag it takes for federal legislation to manifest itself and offers this kernel to citizens: "Any politician who promises immediate results is probably going to make things worse." He offers seven ways the nation can regain its energy independence, the most intriguing and refreshing of which is perhaps his call to make energy conservation a patriotic duty. Hakes's insights into the politics of energy make the book especially relevant this voting season, and it would be a good addition to larger collections.
—Robert Eagan
Product Details
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Meet the Author
Jay Hakes was head of the Energy Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1993 to 2000, where he oversaw the collec-tion and dissemination of America's official energy data and analysis. He has given testimony before congressional committees on more than twenty-five occasions and is currently head of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why Energy Independence Matters More Than Iraq.
PART ONE: The Problem of America’s Energy Dependence.
Chapter 1: America’s Plunge into Reliance on Foreign Oil.
Chapter 2: A Forgotten Victory Gives Hope: How America Solved Its Last Energy Crisis and Cut Oil Imports in Half.
Chapter 3: Lapsing Back into Oil Addiction: Retreating from Battle under Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush.
Chapter 4: Blood and Treasure: The Heavy Cost of Dependence on Middle East Oil.
Chapter 5: Fossil Fuels and Global Warming: A Dangerous Experiment with the Planet.
Chapter 6: The Magic and Limits of Market-Based Solutions.
Chapter 7: Seeing through the Ideological Blinders (of the Right and the Left).
PART TWO: Seven Economically and Politically Viable Paths to Energy Independence.
Chapter 8: Solution One: Store Massive Emergency Reserves.
Chapter 9: Solution Two: Drive the Car of the Future.
Chapter 10: Solution Three: Bring Alternative Fuels to Market.
Chapter 11: Solution Four: Plug into an Electric Future.
Chapter 12: Solution Five: Adopt Energy Taxes Liberals and Conservatives Can Like.
Chapter 13: Solution Six: Make Energy Conservation a Patriotic Duty.
Chapter 14: Solution Seven: Throw Some "Hail Marys".
PART THREE: Securing Our National Future.
Chapter 15: What We Need from National Leaders (and from Voters).
Acknowledgments.
Notes.
Index.