Obama says filling up our SUVs isn't progress
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"Then the prices go back down and suddenly we act like it's not important, and we start, you know filling up our SUVs again. And, as a consequence, we never make any progress." - Barack Obama
President-elect Barack Obama was on 60 Minutes last night and talked to Steve Kroft about the Presidential transition, the economy (including the auto bailout) and his family. Oh, and SUVs. Obama said what a lot of other people are saying, that Americans have a very short memory, and that the current sub-$60 price on a barrel of oil isn't helping the country shift to alternatives. This isn't exactly news to anyone, but this is the next President who's saying it, which could be a big deal. Watch the video after the break. Thanks to Caleb P. for the tip!
[Source: CBS]
Transcript:
Kroft: When the price of oil was at $147 a barrel, there were a lot of spirited and profitable discussions that were held on energy independence. Now you've got the price of oil under $60.
Mr. Obama: Well, because this has been our pattern. We go from shock to trance. You know, oil prices go up, gas prices at the pump go up, everybody goes into a flurry of activity. And then the prices go back down and suddenly we act like it's not important, and we start, you know filling up our SUVs again.
And, as a consequence, we never make any progress. It's part of the addiction, all right. That has to be broken. Now is the time to break it.
The rest is on CBS.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Richard 12:14PM (11/17/2008)
Low fuel prices or not, we can't shift to alternative fuels if they aren't available. Try to buy a practical electric car out there, anyone...anyone? How about a CNG car?
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Red 12:37PM (11/17/2008)
You're under the assumption there are no viable electric vehicles on the horizon in the next 6 months. I'd say give it until Obama's sworn in. I'm sure we'll see something.
Richard 1:15PM (11/17/2008)
I'm not under any assumptions. Obama said low fuel prices are making the transition to alternative fuels harder. There are not any or very few alternative fueled vehicle choices out there. There are no affordable, non Mickey Mouse, highway capable electric vehicles. The fuel efficient cars are in Europe and Asia, yet they aren't being brought to the US for some reason. Peugeot has some the most fuel efficient cars in the world, yet not one is sold in the States, explain that! I would even take an underpowered car but none are available unless I do it myself.
Red 3:45PM (11/17/2008)
Again, you should stop assuming (because you indeed, are assuming) there aren't an "non-Mickey Mouse" electric vehicles in the pipeline to debut soon.
That was my original point.
moogy 3:26PM (11/17/2008)
Well for now... alternatives are rare or expensive. 2010 is the year that everything starts
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Serge 12:51PM (11/17/2008)
Finally, somebody's talking sense. Our economic prosperity as a society and/or our survival as species is dependent upon our ability to progress from fossil to renewable fuels.
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beyondgreen 1:22PM (11/17/2008)
I think we best be getting on with the promise of making America energy independent.Iran just asked OPEC to reduce production by yet another 1.5 million barrels per day.This past year and the record gas prices played a huge part in our economic meltdown and seriously damaged our society.We keep planning to spend BILLIONS on bailouts and stimulus plans.Bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil. Make electric plug in car technology more affordable. Utilize free sources such as wind and solar. Jeff Wilson's new book The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW outlines a plan for America to wean itself off oil. We need a plan and we need it now! www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
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Mike Z 1:34PM (11/17/2008)
I for one am tired of the Manhattan Project or Apollo Program being used as analogies for what needs to happen. Anyone who has studied these programs can explain why the models cannot be applied.
No, what we need is the next Internet. A combination of Government R&D, private enterprise, bold entrepreneurs, and a speculative infrastructure bubble.
kert 5:19PM (11/17/2008)
Manhattan project and Apollo ? One of them resulted in bombing the crap out of japs and eventual MAD doctrine and perpetual fear of nuclear winter, and another one in little more than a few footprints on the moon, with no followup or sustainable architecture left behind.
Great models to look up to, indeed.
Milly 6:31PM (11/17/2008)
It really is an exceptional book, check it out. He even laid out legislative agenda's that it would take to make this happen.
Very interesting and well though out book backed up with research and hard factual data.
Milly 7:00PM (11/17/2008)
It really is an exceptional book. The author even laid out legislative agenda's for each aspect of what it would take to make our country energy independent and how long it would take. Oil is not an infinite source of energy and the easy to get to oil has already been drilled. We are using oil at 2x's the rate new oil is being discovered.Also, demand is rising. Once 3rd world coutnries are becoming more modernized and putting more cars on the roads. (for example China)
Brn 2:02PM (11/17/2008)
I'm tired of being told how dumb me and my neighbors are. I don't think the memory is anywhere near as short term as they say.
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Dairylander 3:44PM (11/17/2008)
He's just referencing the short-lived search for renewables after the 1973 oil crisis. He's not calling you dumb. However, I will. Your sentence should read "...how dumb my neighbors and I are."
Brn 6:32AM (11/18/2008)
Perfect one for me to screw up my English on.
Craig Henderson 2:59PM (11/17/2008)
Oh how times have changed. Just this summer gas at $4.00 or more now $1.94. We re introduced the 100mpg plus Avion on Oct 11th driving from Canada to Portland averaging 113.1mpg and then gas prices dropped in half, the stock market tanked and people are really worried not about fuel prices or the environment but just surviving. I guess I picked a bad time to start building 100mpg cars.
Have a look at www.100mpgplus.com
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Anomoly 6:30PM (11/17/2008)
The car companies keep saying that people won't buy or don't by or even don't care about fuel effecient cars...
There aren't any options!! Finally we will start to see some options and i bet that you will see more and more people adopting these fuel effecient vehicles.
Think about it in 1908 the Model T got up to 25 MPG - here we are 100 years later and the average car on the road gets 20 MPG... what's wrong with this picture, what's REALLY going on?
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Mikeeeee 7:56AM (11/18/2008)
It's weight.
Heck, my 2008 Malibu 4 cyl is getting 23.3 mpg city. It doesn't smoke like the "T".
Paul 10:50AM (11/21/2008)
The Model T was also flex-fuel.
noz 4:44PM (11/17/2008)
I don't trust this guy....he's too white.
Too secretive for a Commander-In-Chief.....they work for us...we need to know more of what they are going to do..it should not be a secret as to who he's going to choose.
His foreign policy is the same...go after a make-believe enemy and keep American influence and dominance abroad. When is the lunacy of unilateral support for Israel going to stop?
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emerillovesbam 11:21AM (11/20/2008)
I don't trust this guy....he's too white.
Too secretive for a Commander-In-Chief.....they work for us...we need to know more of what they are going to do..it should not be a secret as to who he's going to choose.
His foreign policy is the same...go after a make-believe enemy and keep American influence and dominance abroad. When is the lunacy of unilateral support for Israel going to stop?
Absolutely
This guy is NWO piece of filth and please, he will not bring any change to this country.