- $13.3 million — amount George W. Bush has received from the energy/natural resources, agribusiness, and transportation sectors during the 2004 presidential campaign1
- $1.9 million — amount John Kerry has received from the energy/natural resources, agribusiness, and transportation sectors during the 2004 presidential campaign2
- 40 — number of recommendations made by Dick Cheney’s energy task force to speed up energy production, including a call to reconsider drilling on public lands that were previously off-limits3
- 0 — number of new domestic drilling sites Kerry plans to open4
- 9+ — number of times Kerry has voted against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge5
- 22.2 — Bush’s miles-per-gallon goal for the light truck fleet, to be effective 20076
- 36 — Kerry’s miles-per-gallon goal for the whole vehicle fleet, to be effective 20157
- $5,000 — maximum consumer incentive for the purchase of clean, efficient vehicles under Kerry’s energy plan8
- $100,000 — maximum tax write-off for purchase of “business-related” SUV under Bush administration for 2003-20049
- $25,000 — revised maximum tax write-off for purchase of “business-related” SUV in the corporate tax bill that Congress passed in October 2004 and Bush is expected to sign9
- $20 billion — amount Kerry pledges to put toward a trust fund for the development of new, clean fuels and technology, drawing from existing federal offshore oil and gas royalty revenues8
- 2020 — year by which Kerry pledges to have 20 percent of U.S. electricity generated by renewable sources8
- $71.4 million — amount the nuclear industry spent lobbying Capitol Hill last year10
- $7.37 billion — amount in tax breaks and special projects for the nuclear industry included in Bush’s energy bill, now stalled out in Congress10
- 0 — number of times nuclear power is mentioned in the Kerry-Edwards “Plan for America”11
- 54,000 — tons of spent nuclear fuel accumulated in the U.S. as of 200312
- 55 — percent of U.S. population residing within 75 miles of temporarily stored nuclear waste13
- 150,000 — acres Bush wants to dedicate to nuclear-waste disposal at Yucca Mountain in Nevada14
- 0 — acres Kerry wants to dedicate to nuclear-waste disposal at Yucca Mountain15
- 5 — number of electoral votes in Nevada16
- $2 billion — amount Bush pledged during his 2000 campaign to put toward “clean coal” over the following 10 years17
- $10 billion — amount Kerry pledges to put toward “clean coal” over the next 10 years18
- 5 — number of electoral votes in West Virginia16
- 5 — number of times Kerry mentioned environmental issues in his acceptance speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention19
- 0 — number of times Bush mentioned environmental issues in his acceptance speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention20
Sources:
1. Center for Responsive Politics, “George W. Bush Contributions by Sector.”
2. Center for Responsive Politics, “John Kerry Contributions by Sector.”
3. Seattle Times, Craig Welch, 26 Sep 2004.
4. “Our Plan for America” [PDF], John Kerry and John Edwards, page 56.
5. National Republican Senatorial Committee press release.
6. U.S. Department of Transportation press release.
7. Issues 2000, “Associated Press policy Q&A: on Energy & Oil.”
8. Kerry-Edwards press release [PDF].
9. Detroit Free Press, Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press, 07 Oct 2004.
10. Boston Globe, Susan Milligan, 04 Oct 2004.
11. “Our Plan for America” [PDF], John Kerry and John Edwards.
12. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, “Yucca Mountain Project.”
13. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, “Fact Sheet”; U.S. Census Bureau, “State & Country QuickFacts.”
14. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, “Quick Facts About Yucca Mountain.”
15. Kerry-Edwards press release [PDF].
16. Federal Election Commission, “Distribution of Electoral Votes.”
17. Charleston Gazette, Ken Ward Jr., 18 Oct 2004.
18. “Our Plan for America” [PDF], John Kerry and John Edwards, page 55.
19. JohnKerry.com, “Speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.”
20. 2004 Republican National Convention, “Speeches, President George W. Bush.”