1 "If the U.S. continues to increase its reliance on foreign sources
of oil, our dependence on OPEC member nations and rogue states
(overlapping categories that include the nations with the largest share
of the world's proven oil reserves) will increase… . The American Jewish
Committee, therefore, urges that the United States set as a primary
national goal a comprehensive energy policy aimed at a substantial
reduction in U.S. dependence on imported oil, with the potential for
energy flexibility and near independence in the longer term." ------
American Jewish Committee [one of the 51 Major American Jewish
Organizations working as the Israel lobby in the United States,
http://www.conferenceofpresidents.org/content.asp?id=55], "Energy Security for America," May 5, 2003,
http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/EnergySecurityForAmerica.pdf
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2
"Oil prices today [May 2005] stand at $50 a barrel [after Hurricane
Katrina, up to $64.50 a barrel]. This has created a transfer of wealth
of historic proportions from the U.S. to countries that, to paraphrase
President George W. Bush, don't particularly like us—"us" being the
U.S., Israel, and the Jewish people. Many of the petrodollars sent
abroad find their way into the bank accounts of terrorist groups,
radical clerics, and scientists who are trying to develop weapons of
mass destruction." American Jewish Committte, "Reducing U.S. Dependence
on Imported Oil: A Vital Issue for the Security of the United States
and Israel," December 2005,
http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/ReducingUSDependenceOil.pdf
3
Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist wrote: “We’re in a war with
people who are now fueled by our energy purchases. We’re funding both
sides in the war on terrorism.” American Jewish Committee, "Over a
Barrel: How America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil Endangers our National
Security, Economy, and Environment," July 2006,
http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7BF56F4495-CF69-45CB-A2D7-F8ECA17198EE%7D/OVERABARREL101306.PDF
4
Congress Requires Report on U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation (2005): SEC.
986. COOPERATION BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL. (a)
Findings.--Congress finds that-- (1) on February 1, 1996, the United
States and Israel signed the agreement entitled ``Agreement between the
Department of Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry of
Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy Cooperation'',
(referred to in this section as the ``Agreement'') to establish a
framework for collaboration between the United States and Israel in
energy research and development activities; (2) the Agreement entered
into force in February 2000; (3) in February 2005, the Agreement was
automatically renewed for 1 additional 5-year period pursuant to Article
X of the Agreement; and (4) under the Agreement, the United States and
Israel may cooperate in energy research and development in a variety of
alternative and advanced energy sectors. (b) Report to Congress.--Not
later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee
on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on International Relations of
the House of Representatives a report that describes-- (1) the ways in
which the United States and Israel have cooperated on energy research
and development activities under the Agreement; (2) projects initiated
pursuant to the Agreement; and (3) plans for future cooperation and
joint projects under the Agreement. (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the
sense of Congress that energy cooperation between the Governments of the
United States and Israel is mutually beneficial in the development of
energy technology. Jewish Virtual Library: A Division of the
American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, "Congress Requires Report on
U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation
(2005)",
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/doereport.html
5
"Our goal should be to replace hydrocarbons with carbohydrates."
-------- US Senator Richard G. Lugar, The National Interest, Summer
2006.
6 "Let us build on the work we have done and reduce gasoline
usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next ten years --
thereby cutting our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of
all the oil we now import from the Middle East." --------- President
Bush's State of the Union, CNN, 1/23/2007.
7 "Our nation is at
war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred…. and each
day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our
adversaries…We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel
our cars and run our factories." -------- President Obama's inaugural
speech CNN, 1/20/2009.
8 "An interministerial committee charged
with finding ways of turning Israel into an international hub for
technology to reduce global oil consumption will present its findings to
the cabinet today... In February [2010], the ministers decided that
reducing global oil consumption should be a top national goal because it
serves Israel's strategic and environmental interests and could be
quite lucrative as well. While Israel is only a minuscule player in the
global commodities market, the ministers envisioned the country becoming
a global center for technologies that decrease oil consumption for
transportation by boosting initiatives in these fields." "Israel bids to
end global oil dependency by 2020," Haaretz, 9/19/2010,
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/israel-bids-to-end-global-oil-dependency-by-2020-1.314532
9
"Israeli company BrightSource Energy is to build seven new solar energy
plants across California, providing 1,300 megawatts of energy, in the
biggest solar energy deal ever signed. An Israeli company and a
Californian one are making solar power history: Southern California
Edison (SCE) and BrightSource Energy from Israel have signed the world's
largest solar energy deal. Now awaiting approval from the California
Public Utilities Commission, when the contracts are fulfilled -- this
could happen by as early as 2013 -- the Israeli-CA sun project will
power almost 1 million California homes." "Israel and California Cut
World's Largest Solar Energy Deal," Israel21c, 2/12/2009,
http://www.israel21c.org/environment/israel-and-california-cut-worlds-largest-solar-energy-deal
10.
BrightSource Gets A Billion: With over $1 b. in US government loans,
Israel’s BrightSource will build the world’s largest solar energy
project in California, doubling the solar thermal electricity produced
in the US today. With over $1 b. in US government loans, Israel’s
BrightSource will build the world’s largest solar energy project in
California, doubling the solar thermal electricity produced in the US
today. They clinked glasses and toasted for two seconds, and then it was
back to work and business as usual, says Israel Kroizer from
BrightSource Energy, a VC-funded solar thermal energy company, which has
just received $1.37 billion in loan guarantees from the US government.
It was a well-planned process that took three years to roll out,
Kroizer, the chief operating officer for BrightSource tells ISRAEL21c,
and one that will put BrightSource, the US and Israeli solar energy
entrepreneurs, on the solar energy map. It will be the first new solar
thermal plant built in the state of California in about 20 years, and
when completed by 2013 it will be the world’s largest solar energy
project, nearly doubling the amount of solar thermal electricity
produced in the US today. BrightSource Gets a Billion, Israel21c,
3/1/2010,
http://israel21c.org/environment/brightsource-gets-a-billion/
11. Video clip: "President Clinton: Highlights BrightSource solar project",
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcH687hk7xE
Based
on the above strategies and statements involving US energy
policy, write a 100 to 150 word-essay in which you discuss concisely but
thoughtfully what is the real force behind the making of US energy
policy. Is it popular and government concern about the environment, or
Israeli concern about the economic power of Arab-dominated OPEC, or
both? Could 'giant' US become solar energy-dependent on 'minuscule'
Israel? How and why does an Israeli company, NOT an American
company, receive over $1 billion in US government loans to provide power
for almost 1 million California homes? To submit blogs in this course,
you click on the link to the blog as it appears in one of the
subheadings of Course Documents, create a blog entry, and post it. Do
not submit blogs from course tools, as attachments, or as email
messages.
