Energy Crisis of 1979

Examples of Energy Crisis of 1979 in the following topics:

• Energy and Environmental Reform

  • Carter's Energy Crisis responses included deregulation of American oil production, leading to an increase in American oil production.
  • The 1979 (or second) oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution.
  • On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter outlined his plans to reduce oil imports and improve energy efficiency in his "Crisis of Confidence" speech (sometimes known as the "malaise" speech).
  • During the speech, Carter encouraged citizens to do what they could to reduce their use of energy.
  • Discuss the effects of the 1979 Energy Crisis, and the resulting Environmental Reform Policy.

• Economic Stagnation

  • The 1979 energy crisis ended this period of growth, however.
  • The sudden shortage of gasoline as the 1979 summer vacation season began exacerbated the problem and would come to symbolize the crisis among the public in general.
  • One related measure approved by Congress during the presidency of Gerald Ford, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, gave presidents the authority to deregulate prices of domestic oil, and Carter exercised this option on July 1, 1979, as a means of encouraging both oil production and conservation.
  • Oil imports, which had reached a record 2.4 billion barrels in 1977 (50% of supply), declined by half from 1979 to 1983.
  • Evaluate the ups and downs of the economy during the Carter Administration, including the effects of the energy crisis.

• Domestic Policies

  • Carter told Americans that the energy crisis was "a clear and present danger to our nation" and "the moral equivalent of war," and he drew out a plan he thought would address it.
  • As reaction to the energy crisis and growing concerns over air pollution, Carter also signed the National Energy Act (NEA) and the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA).
  • The purpose of these watershed laws was to encourage energy conservation and the development of national energy resources, including renewable energy such as wind and solar energy.
  • When the energy crisis set in, Carter was planning on delivering his fifth major speech on energy; however, he felt that the American people were no longer listening.
  • On July 15, 1979, Carter gave a nationally-televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people.

• The Carter Administration

  • His administration sought to make the government "competent and compassionate"; however in the midst of an economic crisis produced by rising energy prices and stagflation, he met with difficulty in achieving his objectives.
  • The final year of his presidential tenure was marked by several major crises, including the 1979 takeover of the American embassy in Iran, an unsuccessful rescue attempt of the hostages, serious fuel shortages, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
  • Carter created the United States Department of Education and United States Department of Energy, established a national energy policy, and pursued civil service and social security reform.
  • Carter's ethos of humility and compassion informed much of his presidency and was reflected in his foreign policy and administration.
  • In the 1980 campaign, Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan used the economic problems, Iran hostage crisis, and lack of Washington cooperation to portray Carter as a weak and ineffectual leader.

• The Iranian Crisis

  • In February of 1979, the shah was overthrown when revolution broke out, and a few months later, he departed for the United States for medical treatment.
  • On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian students and activists, including Islamic fundamentalists who wished to end the Westernization and secularization of Iran, invaded the American embassy in Tehran and seized 66 embassy employees.
  • The crisis has also been described as the "pivotal episode" in the history of Iran–United States relations.
  • In Iran, the crisis strengthened the prestige of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the political power of those who supported theocracy and opposed any normalization of relations with the West.
  • Explain the background, resolution, and aftermath of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

• Oil

  • The crisis was set off at least in part because of oil embargoes levied by OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), and conflicts in Libya.
  • The oil crisis contributed to recessions in the country.
  • This is in part because of the strength of the oil and energy lobby in the US.
  • The continuing influence of oil companies has been implicated in limiting the development of new energy resources and technologies.
  • Today the idea of energy independence has emerged as an important political buzzword.

• Political Art: LGBT Rights and the AIDS Crisis

  • The AIDS Crisis that started in the 1980s stigmatized the LGBT community who in turn protested with political art and activism.
  • The LGBT community responded to the AIDS crisis by organizing, engaging in direct actions, staging protests, and creating political art.
  • At their inception in 1979, a small group of gay men in San Francisco began wearing the attire of nuns in visible situations using high camp to draw attention to social conflicts and problems in the Castro District.
  • In San Francisco alone, the Sisters are credited with raising over $1 million between 1979 and 2007.
  • Describe the political art that was fueled by LGBT communities during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s.

• Volcker Disinflation

  • Paul Volcker is an American economist who was appointed by President Carter in 1979 to be the 12th Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States (the Fed).
  • During his time as chairman, Paul Volcker led the Federal Reserve board and helped to end the stagflation crisis of the 1970s.
  • When he became chairman in 1979, inflation was high and peaked in 1981 at 13.5%.
  • Volcker raised the federal funds target rate from 11.2% in 1979 to 20% in June of 1981.
  • Evaluate the benefits and consequences of Paul Volcker's actions as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors

• Present Sources of Energy

  • Present sources of energy include fossil fuels, various types of renewable energy, and nuclear power.
  • Most of the world's energy resources are from the conversion of the sun's rays to other energy forms after being incident upon the planet.
  • As of 2010, use of fossil fuels as an energy source comprised over 80% of total energy consumed.
  • However, after the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979, during which the price of oil increased from $5 to $45 per barrel, there was a shift away from this particular resource.
  • Renewable energy sources only comprised 16.7% of our energy in 2010.

• The Energy Crisis

  • The Arab embargo had a negative impact on the U.S economy, causing immediate demands to address the threats to U.S energy security.
  • A few months later, the crisis eased.
  • The embargo was lifted in March 1974 after negotiations at the Washington Oil Summit, but the effects of the energy crisis lingered on throughout the 1970s.
  • The price of energy continued increasing in the following year, amid the weakening competitive position of the dollar in world markets.
  • This chart reveals the steep increase in oil prices related to the Energy Crisis of 1973.