Dr Andrew Glencross ~ andrew.glencross@eui.eu

The Environment and Energy

Government and Politics of the USAHillary Term, Lecture 31

Required reading…

– Singh chap. 16

– Flynt Leverett, Black is the New Green, The National Interest, Jan/Feb 2008

Additional resources…

• Michael Kraft, Environmental Policy and Politics, 2001 (PL-410-679)

• Richard Heinberg, The Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies, 2003 (PL-410-990)

Readings for today

Key Questions

• Environment: “What can government do and what should it do?”

• Energy: ‘How will US domestic and foreign policy adapt to the competition for energy resources?”

• Overview of American Environmental Policy• Current Issues in Environmental Policy

– Car Emissions and Nuclear Waste

• US Energy Policy• Energy Policy and Foreign Relations• Environmental and Energy Policy in the 2008

Election

Agenda

Overview of American Environmental Policy

• Energy

• Climate Change

Current Issues in Environmental Policy

• Emissions: vehicles represent 51% of household CO² emissions and 26% of total US emissions

• The Fed Govt: under the Clean Air Act, the fed govt sets minimum standards for air quality but states’ plans for reducing air pollution require EPA approval

• The States: California passed 2002 law requiring carmakers to cut greenhouse gases by 25%

• Conflict: carmakers sued Cal arguing this was a fuel economy law, which is the prerogative of the fed govt, the state won that case but in 2007 the EPA rejected waiver for this air pollution law so the state now suing EPA

The Problem of Car Emissions

Current Issues in Environmental Policy

• In 1982 Congress asked Dept of Energy to find a site for an underground repository for nuclear waste

In 1987 Congress settled on Yucca Mountain site in Nevada, due to become

operational by 1998 but never has, now set to open in 2017

The Problem of Nuclear Waste

Current Issues in Environmental Policy

• In 2002 Dept of Energy confirmed Yucca as place for repository, accepted by Bush

• But strongly opposed by state politicians, using arguments about the site’s vulnerability to earthquakes and hazards of transportation; 70% of Nevadans against

• Result is a stalemate but with important environmental and security implications

• Waste currently temporarily stored over ground at nuclear facilities across country

The Problem of Nuclear Waste

US Energy Policy

• The ultimate ambition would be energy independence, in particular to eliminate dependence on foreign oil

• Federal measures taken to this end include: energy efficiency legislation, switch to biofuel, increase in nuclear power and renewables

• But these measures cannot eradicate in short term dependency on petrol, which covers 40% of US energy needs of which 40% is consumed by cars

• Consequently US foreign policy increasingly tilted towards energy needs, especially oil

Energy Policy and Foreign Relations

• History: US energy needs has influenced foreign policy since 1945 when Roosevelt struck oil for security deal with Ibn Saud

• Change in Policy: US becomes net oil importer in 70s and in 1979 loses ally Iran to Islamic revolution, consequently adopts an “over the horizon” stance, leads to creation of fifth fleet, CENTCOM and pre-positioning of equipment for rapid deployment

• First Gulf War changes everything: US goal was to protect Saudi Arabia before evicting Saddam from Kuwait

• Continuing presence of US troops, “infidels”, inflamed Bin Laden who wants to drive them out and punish Saudi Arabian regime for allowing them in first place

Energy Policy and Foreign Relations• Second Gulf War: confirms the principle of

permanent military presence in Mid East in order to secure oil supplies, thereby continuing to galvanise terrorist threat

• Consequences: Mid East oil countries turning towards Asian manufacturing countries, which could prove a formidable alliance, especially if oil prices keep rising

• Meanwhile US seeks to diversify its oil supply, particularly massive tar sands in Canada

• Thus have makings of possible world standoff between democratic and non democratic regimes

Energy Policy and Foreign Relations

• “Concert of Democracies” – considered by both neo-cons and liberal interventionists as a way of justifying US-led hegemony, including military interventions.

• But in response alliance of oil-producing authoritarian regimes and E. Asian countries – axis of oil – could challenge US power

• These countries have huge financial clout, which could be used against US by refusing to buy US Treasury bonds or destabilising dollar

• Hence foreign policy realists advocate end to idea of spreading democracy through US power, return to “over the horizon” military stance in Mid East and less confrontation with Russia

Democracy vs Authoritarianism

• McCain – as a federalist, supports California in suit against EPA, believes US has to act on climate change but only in concert with India and China, sees oil dependence as both security and environmental issue

• Clinton – wants a successor to Kyoto, insists on fed support for renewables as part of “green collar” economic stimulus, opposed to Yucca mountain,

• Obama – in favour of domestic scheme for emissions trading, wants to encourage exports of clean fuel technology to developing world, mandate that by 2020 25% of electricity produced by renewables, committed to biofuels

Environmental and Energy Policy in the Election

The Environment

Environmental and Energy Policy in the Election

• McCain – prepared for long military presence in Iraq, wants to counteract Iranian influence in region, favours concert of democracy rather than UN

• Obama and Clinton – both seek Iraq pullout, insist on multilateralism in foreign affairs, democracy key value in foreign policy but not to be achieved through belligerence

Energy Policy and Foreign Relations