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OUR THIRD GOAL IS TO PROMOTE
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE FOR OUR
COUNTRY WHILE DRAMATICALLY
IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT.
I HAVE SENT YOU A -- I HAVE
SENT YOU A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY
PLAN TO PROMOTE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION TO
DEVELOP CLEANER TECHNOLOGY AND
TO PRODUCE MORE ENERGY AT HOME.
I HAVE SENT YOU CLEAR SKIES
LEGISLATION THAT MANDATES A 70%
CUT IN AIR POLLUTION FROM POWER
PLANTS OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS.
I HAVE SENT YOU A HEALTHY
FOREST INITIATIVE TO HELP
PREVENT THE CATASTROPHIC FIRES
THAT DEVASTATE COMMUNITIES,
KILL WILDLIFE, AND BURN AWAY
MILLIONS OF ACRES OF TREASURED
FORESTS.
I URGE YOU TO PASS THESE
MEASURES FOR THE GOOD OF BOTH
OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR ECONOMY.
EVEN MORE, I ASK YOU TO TAKE A
CRUCIAL STEP AND PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT IN WAYS THAT
GENERATIONS BEFORE US COULD NOT
HAVE IMAGINED.
IN THIS CENTURY, THE GREATEST
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS WILL
COME ABOUT NOT THROUGH ENDLESS
LAWSUITS OR COMMAND-AND-CONTROL
REGULATIONS, BUT THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY AND THROUGH
INNOVATION.
TONIGHT, I'M PROSING $1.2
BILLION IN RESEARCH FUND --
PROPOSING $1.2 BILLION IN
RESEARCH FUNDING, SO AMERICA
CAN LEAD THE WORLD IN CLEAN,
HYDROGEN-POWERED AUTOMOBILES.
A SIMPLE CHEMICAL REACTION
BETWEEN HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN
GENERATES ENERGY WHICH CAN BE
USED TO POWER A CAR PRODUCING
ONLY WATER, NOT EXHAUST FUMES.
WITH A NEW NATIONAL COMMITMENT,
OUR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
WILL OVERCOME OBSTACLES TO
TAKING THESE CARS FROM
LABORATORY TO SHOWROOM SO THAT
THE FIRST CAR DRIVEN BY A CHILD
BORN TODAY COULD BE POWERED BY
HYDROGEN AND POLLUTION-FREE.
JOIN ME IN THIS IMPORTANT
INNOVATION TO MAKE OUR AIR
SIGNIFICANTLY CLEANER AND OUR
COUNTRY MUCH LESS DEPENDENT ON
FOREIGN SOURCES OF ENERGY.

OUR FOURTH GOAL IS TO APPLY THE
COMPASSION OF AMERICA TO THE
DEEPEST PROBLEMS OF AMERICA.
FOR SO MANY IN OUR COUNTRY, THE
HOMELESS AND THE FATHERLESS,
THE ADDICTED, THE NEED IS GREAT
.
YET, THERE'S POWER,
WONDER-WORKING POWER IN THE
GOODNESS AND IDEALISM AND FAITH
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICANS ARE DOING THE WORK OF
COMPASSION EVERY DAY, VISITTING
PRISONERS, PROVIDE -- VISITING
PRISONERS, PROVIDING SHELTER
FOR BATTERED WOMEN, BRINGING
COMPANIONSHIP TO LONELY
SENIORS.
THESE GOOD WORKS DESERVE OUR
PRAISE, THEY DESERVE OUR
PERSONAL SUPPORT, AND WHEN
APPROPRIATE, THEY DESERVE THE
ASSISTANCE OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
I URGE YOU TO PASS BOTH MY
FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE AND THE
CITIZENS SERVICE ACT TO
ENCOURAGE ACTS OF COMPASSION
THAT CAN TRANSFORM AMERICA ONE
HEART AND ONE SOUL AT A TIME.
LAST YEAR, I CALLED ON MY
FELLOW CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE U.S.A. FREEDOM CORPS,
WHICH IS ENLISTING 10'S OF
THOUSANDS OF NEW VOLUNTEERS
ACROSS AMERICA.
TONIGHT I ASK CONGRESS AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON THE
SPIRIT OF SERVICE AND THE
RESOURCES OF GOVERNMENT ON THE
NEEDS OF SOME OF OUR MOST
VULNERABLE CITIZENS.
BOYS AND GIRLS TRYING TO GROW
UP WITHOUT GUIDANCE AND
ATTENTION, AND CHILDREN WHO
HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PRISON
GATE TO BE HUGGED BY THEIR MOM
OR DAD.
I PROPOSE A $450 MILLION
INITIATIVE TO BRING MENTORS TO
MORE THAN A MILLION
DISADVANTAGED JUNIOR HIGH
STUDENTS AND CHILDREN OF
PRISONERS.
GOVERNMENT WILL SUPPORT THE
TRAINING AND RECRUITING OF
MENTORS, YET IT IS THE MEN AND
WOMEN OF AMERICA WHO WILL FILL
THE NEED.
ONE MENTOR, ONE PERSON CAN
CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER, AND I
URGE YOU TO BE THAT ONE PERSON.
ANOTHER CAUSE OF HOPELESSNESS
IS ADDICTION TO DRUGS.
ADDICTION CROWDS OUT FRIENDSHIP
, AMBITION, MORAL CONVICTION
AND REDUCES ALL THE RICHNESS OF
LIFE TO A SINGLE DESTRUCTIVE
DESIRE.