“But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the Apocalypse… These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong and unyielding bastion of freedom.”
Video and transcript below.
Transcript:
To protect our security and our economy, we are also boldly embracing American energy independence.
The United States is now by far the number one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. By far. It’s not even close.
While many European countries struggle with crippling energy costs, the American energy revolution is saving American families $2,500 every year in lowering electric bills. Numbers that people said couldn’t happen and also very importantly prices at the pump.
We’ve been so successful that the United States no longer needs to import energy from hostile nations. With an abundance of American natural gas now available, our European allies no longer have to be vulnerable to unfriendly energy suppliers either. We urge our friends in Europe to use America’s vast supply and achieve true energy security.
With US companies and researchers leading the way, we are on the threshold of virtually unlimited reserves of energy, including from traditional fuels: LNG, clean coal, next generation nuclear power and gas hydrate technologies.
At the same time, I’m proud to report the United States is among the cleanest air and drinking water on earth and we’re going to keep it that way, and we just came out with a report that at this moment it’s the cleanest it’s been in the last 40 years. We’re committed to conserving the majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our world.
Today I’m pleased to announce the United States will join the 1 trillion trees initiative being launched here at the World Economic Forum. 1 trillion trees, and in doing so we will continue to show strong leadership and restoring, growing, and better managing our trees and our forests.
This is not a time for pessimism, this is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope, and joy and optimism and action.
But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the Apocalypse.
They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers, and I have them, and you have them and we all have them and they want to see us do badly but we won’t let that happen. They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s.
These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives.
We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong and unyielding bastion of freedom.
In America, we understand what the pessimists refused to see. That a growing and vibrant market economy, focused on the future, lifts the human spirit and excites creativity: strong enough to overcome any challenge, any challenge by far.