A Declaration of Energy Independence

A Declaration of Energy Independence offered a viable plan for ending American dependence on foreign oil.

This book showed how freedom from foreign oil could improve national security, our economy, and the environment.

Between rising oil prices, global instability, and environmental degradation, most Americans in 2008 acknowledged the need for energy independence. Yet the political dialog tended to focus on the most extreme positions, leaving most citizens scratching their heads about what to do. A Declaration of Energy Independence took a nonpartisan, honest approach to these fundamental questions and obliterated the political and economic myths of both conservatives and liberals.

Jay Hakes combined real facts and solid science with historical context to ask the right questions and propose the best answers. After educating readers on the historical context, Hakes went on to offer a seven-point plan for breaking free from the costly energy trap and enhancing American influence abroad. In the years following the publication of this book, the United States cut its net oil imports from 60 percent to zero.

Reviews of the Book 

“Hakes .... tells the story of failures and surprising successes in federal energy policies of the last forty years, and where we need to go in the future. Both a careful scholar and a realistic veteran of state and federal government, Hakes has written an important book that provides workable solutions to our nation's energy problems.”  Former President Jimmy Carter

“Read a Declaration of Energy Independence by Jay Hakes...  a concise three-part argument that we have, in the USA, put ourselves on a path to energy independence in the past (during the Nixon-Ford-Carter decade) but that it was consciously unraveled by all the administrations that have followed;  that we can and must 'do it again'; and, finally, that we can do it in a way that integrates the imperatives arising from the realities of global warming produced by the excessive reliance on carbon-based fuels.” The Atlantic

“…  a compelling tutorial for anyone seeking to understand the geopolitical forces that have America over a barrel of oil.... a fact-filled but very readable analysis of America's energy policy and its impacts ...”  Stacy Shelton — Atlanta Journal Constitution

— Boy — did “A Declaration of Energy Independence” fill out my education. It’s a great read and offers some very creative solutions. - Jim Bohannon — The Jim Bohannon Show

— “If you get a chance to read Hakes’ book, I think you will find it an outpost of sanity in the mostly absurd babble surrounding the ‘energy crisis.’” -- Bill Pike, Editor in Chief, E&P Magazine

— “Energy policy is a complex issue, but Jay Hakes deftly explains it in A Declaration of Energy Independence. His style is clear and concise. The nonpartisan approach should appeal to readers of every political stripe, and Hakes’ grasp of the scientific, political, and economic aspects lend credibility to his arguments.” - Cynthia Murphy — Front Street Reviews

— “... Hakes‘s insights into the politics of energy make the book especially relevant this voting season...” Library Journal Review by Robert Eagan

Articles

CNN.com, SciTechBlog, Peter Dykstra, October 13. 2008, Book tracks four decades of energy errors - Book Review

IAGS Journal of Energy Security - "35 Years After the Arab Oil Embargo" - article in the October 7, 2008 issue written by Jay Hakes

Cronkite News Service, Arizona State University, September 12, 2008

Curled Up With a Good Book, by Amirajeet A. Batabyal, 2008 - Book Review

University of Florida School News - This article was in the student newspaper after Jay's presentation at the University of Florida, Gainesville at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service

San Francisco Chronicle OpEd "Carter had a powerful energy idea" by Jay Hakes, Sunday, April 22, 2007

Library Journal review of  "A Declaration of Energy Independence" by Robert Eagan, September 1, 2008

“Pratt on Hakes: A Declaration of Energy Independence,” H-Energy Resources, May, 2010

RenewableEnergyWorld.com - an online newsletter "Renewing the Fight for Renewables"  - See Jay's article  where he discusses A Declaration of Energy Independence and the critical importance of renewables in achieving energy independence.

Domestic Fuel: Alternative Fuel News - A book review by Joanna Schroeder on 1/20/2009

http://www.americanenergyindependence.com

“Where History and Politics Meet: Political Commentary with a Historical Perspective and Vice Versa,” Spinning Clio - Book Review