Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, my amendment is just plain and simple common sense. It addresses the importance of all types of research and development funding at the Department of Energy--specifically, the energy research conducted at the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. In my ideal world, I would have virtual parity between renewable energy and fuels and research on ways to reduce the environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels. Any effective plan to counter climate change and handle increased energy demand must take into account our Nation's vast supply of natural resources and our talent for technological innovation. China is projected to increase its emissions for the foreseeable future and reportedly began construction in 2023 on coal units equivalent to 70 gigawatts of power. This statistic doesn't take into account the large number of coal-fired plants China is financing in Africa and other countries with emerging economies. Rural folks in India do not have access to reliable, baseload electricity in their homes. India has begun using renewables, but to lift the poorest citizens up, they will have to increase their use of fossil fuels, like the particularly low-grade coal mined in their country. In the developing world, more energy means more hope and less poverty. More hope and less poverty is a good thing. We really take it for granted in this country when we cut the lights on that we will have lights that turn on. We take that comfort for granted.…”