Confirmation Hearing of Hillary Rodham Clinton: the place of energy and the environment in the future U.S. foreign policy
On January 13, 2009 took place the Senate confirmation hearing nominating Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State for the next administration. At the heart of her action will be: "principles and pragmatism", designed "global solutions", use of "smart power", in "a time of great dangers and great possibilities" and "interdependence".
Some interesting points were made by the Senator on energy (1) and environmental (2) matters, which are reported below.
1. Energy related issues
- Preferred energy partnerships with Latin America for less dependency - "Canada and Mexico are […] our biggest suppliers of imported energy. […] We're looking forward to working on many issues during the Summit of the Americas in April and taking up the president-elect's call for a new energy partnership around shared technology and new investments in renewable energy."
- Ukraine and Russia gas dispute: also an American concern - "Russia is attempting to create a gas equivalent of OPEC that would give it, in addition to the bilateral powers it has, a much greater multilateral international reach on gas. So this whole question of energy security, I think, has enormous implications for our country, for Europe, but, indeed, for the entire world." "We've had individual envoys on specific pipeline issues (from the State Department), but we haven't brought it all together in a way that I think reflects the elevated seriousness of the challenges that are being posed." "This is a very timely issue, and it should go hand in hand with our climate change work."
- A coordinator on energy security issues at the State Department - Because these issues represent "a big security challenge," Senator Clinton was in favour of having "someone coordinating energy security issues in the State Department to work with the Europeans, to work with others to try to come up with ways that we can both promote energy independence so they're not so vulnerable but also try to help equip them with ways of dealing with their current vulnerabilities, particularly to Russia."
- Management of mineral wealth in mineral rich countries and protection of U.S. security interests - "[…] we should look at the models of countries that have handled their mineral wealth to the advantage of their people. Botswana comes to mind. They've been very good stewards of their diamonds and have invested in roads and schools and infrastructure in Botswana. So we should be looking for best practices and see if there is a way to create a regulatory framework that would give both protection and incentives to mineral rich countries so that they would be able to stand up for their rights and then use the revenues in a very positive way to enhance the well being of their people."
- Nuclear terrorism - "The recent (Senate) commission on WMD […] concluded that the evidence points to our seeing a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological materials some time in the next four years. You add to that the growing threat of cyber terrorism, which has the potential of disrupting the networks we rely on for all kinds of things, like traffic signals and electric grids and the like, which would be incredibly disruptive and dangerous. […] This is the number one threat we face, there's no doubt in my mind. So we're going to start calling it such. We're going to reorganize the department to be better prepared to deal with non-proliferation, arms control and these new threats. […] the United States wants to be a leader once again, to control arms, particularly with Russia, and that's what the START talks will be aimed at doing."
2. Environmental issues
- Dangers of climate change among the great perils - "Climate change is an unambiguous security threat. At the extreme, it threatens our very existence. But well before that point, it could well incite new wars of an old kind over basic resources like food, water, and arable land. President-elect Obama has said America must be a leader in developing and implementing a global and coordinated effort to climate change. We will participate in the upcoming UN Copenhagen climate conference and a global energy forum and will pursue an energy policy that reduces our carbon emissions while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and gas, fighting climate change and enhancing our economic and energy security."
- The U.S. role as an Arctic Nation – One Senator underlines that the U.S. is an Arctic nation by virtue of Alaska, and in doing so benefits from some opportunities in collaboration on research, on environmental issues, on commerce, on natural and energy resources exploitation. To the question whether the ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty will be a priority for here, Senator Clinton answered: "Yes, it will be, and it will be because it is long overdue. The Law of the Sea Treaty is supported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, environmental, energy, and business interests. I have spoken with some of our naval leaders, and they consider themselves to be somewhat disadvantaged by our not having become a party to the Law of the Sea. Our industrial interests, particularly with seabed mining, just shut up."
Some additional quotations for the records:
- "The president-elect and I believe that foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology, on facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice. Our security, our vitality, and our ability to lead in today's world oblige us to recognize the overwhelming facts of our interdependence."
- "The best way to advance America's interests in reducing global threats and seizing global opportunities is to design and implement global solutions. That isn't a philosophical point. This is our reality."
- Quoting George Marshal: "sometimes our enemies are not the nations or doctrines but they are, in fact, hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos."
- "The U.N. must reform. It has to be more transparent, more efficient, and we are going to press for those kinds of changes."
Full transcript of the hearing available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/politics/13text-clinton.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
Some interesting points were made by the Senator on energy (1) and environmental (2) matters, which are reported below.
1. Energy related issues
- Preferred energy partnerships with Latin America for less dependency - "Canada and Mexico are […] our biggest suppliers of imported energy. […] We're looking forward to working on many issues during the Summit of the Americas in April and taking up the president-elect's call for a new energy partnership around shared technology and new investments in renewable energy."
- Ukraine and Russia gas dispute: also an American concern - "Russia is attempting to create a gas equivalent of OPEC that would give it, in addition to the bilateral powers it has, a much greater multilateral international reach on gas. So this whole question of energy security, I think, has enormous implications for our country, for Europe, but, indeed, for the entire world." "We've had individual envoys on specific pipeline issues (from the State Department), but we haven't brought it all together in a way that I think reflects the elevated seriousness of the challenges that are being posed." "This is a very timely issue, and it should go hand in hand with our climate change work."
- A coordinator on energy security issues at the State Department - Because these issues represent "a big security challenge," Senator Clinton was in favour of having "someone coordinating energy security issues in the State Department to work with the Europeans, to work with others to try to come up with ways that we can both promote energy independence so they're not so vulnerable but also try to help equip them with ways of dealing with their current vulnerabilities, particularly to Russia."
- Management of mineral wealth in mineral rich countries and protection of U.S. security interests - "[…] we should look at the models of countries that have handled their mineral wealth to the advantage of their people. Botswana comes to mind. They've been very good stewards of their diamonds and have invested in roads and schools and infrastructure in Botswana. So we should be looking for best practices and see if there is a way to create a regulatory framework that would give both protection and incentives to mineral rich countries so that they would be able to stand up for their rights and then use the revenues in a very positive way to enhance the well being of their people."
- Nuclear terrorism - "The recent (Senate) commission on WMD […] concluded that the evidence points to our seeing a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological materials some time in the next four years. You add to that the growing threat of cyber terrorism, which has the potential of disrupting the networks we rely on for all kinds of things, like traffic signals and electric grids and the like, which would be incredibly disruptive and dangerous. […] This is the number one threat we face, there's no doubt in my mind. So we're going to start calling it such. We're going to reorganize the department to be better prepared to deal with non-proliferation, arms control and these new threats. […] the United States wants to be a leader once again, to control arms, particularly with Russia, and that's what the START talks will be aimed at doing."
2. Environmental issues
- Dangers of climate change among the great perils - "Climate change is an unambiguous security threat. At the extreme, it threatens our very existence. But well before that point, it could well incite new wars of an old kind over basic resources like food, water, and arable land. President-elect Obama has said America must be a leader in developing and implementing a global and coordinated effort to climate change. We will participate in the upcoming UN Copenhagen climate conference and a global energy forum and will pursue an energy policy that reduces our carbon emissions while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and gas, fighting climate change and enhancing our economic and energy security."
- The U.S. role as an Arctic Nation – One Senator underlines that the U.S. is an Arctic nation by virtue of Alaska, and in doing so benefits from some opportunities in collaboration on research, on environmental issues, on commerce, on natural and energy resources exploitation. To the question whether the ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty will be a priority for here, Senator Clinton answered: "Yes, it will be, and it will be because it is long overdue. The Law of the Sea Treaty is supported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, environmental, energy, and business interests. I have spoken with some of our naval leaders, and they consider themselves to be somewhat disadvantaged by our not having become a party to the Law of the Sea. Our industrial interests, particularly with seabed mining, just shut up."
Some additional quotations for the records:
- "The president-elect and I believe that foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology, on facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice. Our security, our vitality, and our ability to lead in today's world oblige us to recognize the overwhelming facts of our interdependence."
- "The best way to advance America's interests in reducing global threats and seizing global opportunities is to design and implement global solutions. That isn't a philosophical point. This is our reality."
- Quoting George Marshal: "sometimes our enemies are not the nations or doctrines but they are, in fact, hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos."
- "The U.N. must reform. It has to be more transparent, more efficient, and we are going to press for those kinds of changes."
Full transcript of the hearing available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/politics/13text-clinton.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
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