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Who Said It?

Here's a passage from a speech on national energy policy. Can you figure out who said it? And don't cheat using Google.
Truly, the humblest American enjoys the services of more slaves than were once owned by the richest nobles, and lives better than most ancient kings. In retrospect, and despite wars, revolutions, and disasters, the hundred years just gone by may well seem like a Golden Age.

Whether this Golden Age will continue depends entirely upon our ability to keep energy supplies in balance with the needs of our growing population. Before I go into this question, let me review briefly the role of energy resources in the rise and fall of civilizations.

Possession of surplus energy is, of course, a requisite for any kind of civilization, for if man possesses merely the energy of his own muscles, he must expend all his strength - mental and physical - to obtain the bare necessities of life.

Surplus energy provides the material foundation for civilized living - a comfortable and tasteful home instead of a bare shelter; attractive clothing instead of mere covering to keep warm; appetizing food instead of anything that suffices to appease hunger. It provides the freedom from toil without which there can be no art, music, literature, or learning. There is no need to belabor the point. What lifted man - one of the weaker mammals - above the animal world was that he could devise, with his brain, ways to increase the energy at his disposal, and use the leisure so gained to cultivate his mind and spirit. Where man must rely solely on the energy of his own body, he can sustain only the most meager existence.
I'll have the answer later today.

THE ANSWER IS... Admiral Hyman Rickover. He made those comments in a speech on May 14, 1957 at the Annual Scientific Assembly of the Minnesota State Medical Association.

Rather prescient, don't you think?

Thanks to our old friend Rod Adams for the pointer.

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Comments

Kelly L Taylor said…
Eric, is this a current speech or historical? Can you at least give the clue of a time period?
;-)
Eric McErlain said…
Sorry -- figuring that out on your own is part of the fun.
Anonymous said…
I knew it!

I said to myself, that's the Admiral.

Why did I know it? Because I read another energy policy speech by Rickover earlier today.

About peak oil actually. You can read it here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/3/141612/070

Excerpt:

" Fossil fuels resemble capital in the bank. A prudent and responsible parent will use his capital sparingly in order to pass on to his children as much as possible of his inheritance. A selfish and irresponsible parent will squander it in riotous living and care not one whit how his offspring will fare.

Engineers whose work familiarizes them with energy statistics; far-seeing industrialists who know that energy is the principal factor which must enter into all planning for the future; responsible governments who realize that the well-being of their citizens and the political power of their countries depend on adequate energy supplies - all these have begun to be concerned about energy resources."
Anonymous said…
I thought 1950s, so I got the timeframe roughly, but I had it in my head that it was a president.

The admiral had a pretty good turn of phrase, gotta admit it.
Anonymous said…
Here's a clue...

If its current, it must by through seance, right?

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