congressional_record: CREC-2006-12-08-pt1-PgE2138-2
Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API
This data as json
| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREC-2006-12-08-pt1-PgE2138-2 | 2006-12-08 | 109 | 2 | SAVING ENERGY THROUGH RECYCLING | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | ALLOTHER | E2138 | E2138 | [{"name": "Joe Barton", "role": "speaking"}] | 152 Cong. Rec. E2138 | Congressional Record, Volume 152 Issue 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006) [Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E2138] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SAVING ENERGY THROUGH RECYCLING ______ HON. JOE BARTON of texas in the house of representatives Wednesday, December 6, 2006 Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the energy security issues we face and to highlight the important role renewable energy plays in producing reliable electricity and curbing demand for power transmission equipment. Given this importance, we must continue to support initiatives to improve transmission, increase generation nationally and encourage renewable energy and conservation. Effective renewable energy policy must include the significant invested energy available through greater recycling. Manufacturing recycled products requires, on average, 17 times less energy than manufacturing the same products from virgin materials. In addition to the traditionally understood benefits of recycling as a conservation and waste management tool, recycling is becoming increasingly understood as an energy source available to combat the Nation's growing energy crisis. For example, recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source. The amount of lost energy from throwing away aluminum and steel cans, plastic PET and glass containers, newsprint and corrugated packaging was equivalent to the annual output of 15 medium sized coal power plants. Increasing the recycling rate of these commodities by 10 percent would save enough energy annually to heat 74,350 million American homes, provide the required electricity for 2.5 million Americans, and save about $771 million in avoid costs for barrels of crude oil. As a result, recycling should be an integral component of our Nation's energy efficiency strategy. The Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 acknowledged the high invested energy content of recyclables. Section 1353 mandated the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to conduct a study to determine and quantify the energy savings achieved through the recycling of glass, paper, plastic, steel, aluminum, and electronic devices, and to identify tax incentives that would encourage recycling of such materials. As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I was deeply involved in the creation of this legislation, which I am proud to say was achieved with strong bipartisan participation and support. The Environmental Protection Agency has shown that recycling saves billions in energy costs and hundreds of millions of tons of raw materials. American companies that engage in the use of renewable resources and recyclable materials are already contributing countless billions of dollars per year to our Nation's energy grid. These companies are engaging in practices that are environmentally friendly and energy conservative. By harvesting the invested energy in recycling, this country saves tens of millions of tons of ore, coal, trees and billions of dollars in energy costs. Recycling programs offer a means to conserve natural resources, ease the burden on the grid, reduce excessive municipal waste, protect the environment, create jobs, and save energy. Like the energy drawn from wind or from water behind a dam, recyclable materials contain a vast amount of energy that is available to be harvested. Recyclables possess invested energy, and in order to remain competitive, we must focus on capturing the energy that is already invested in recycling. Through recognition of these policy objectives, we will create the most efficient market-based solutions to ensure a safe, abundant, and stable energy supply to our citizens for years to come. ____________________ |