Q Does the President believe that, given the amount of energy Americans consume per capita, how much it exceeds any other citizen in any other country in the world, does the President believe we need to correct our lifestyles to address the energy problem? MR. FLEISCHER: That's a big no. The President believes that it's an American way of life, and that it should be the goal of policy makers to protect the American way of life. The American way of life is a blessed one. And we have a bounty of resources in this country. What we need to do is make certain that we're able to get those resources in an efficient way. . . Q So Americans should go on consuming as much more energy than any other citizens in any other countries of the world, as long as they want? MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, the President believes that the American people are very wise and that, given the right incentives, they will know how and they will make their own right determinations about how much they can conserve . . . But the President also believes that the American people's use of energy is a reflection of the strength of our economy, of the way of life that the American people have come to enjoy. Ari Fleischer Press briefing May 7, 2001

MR. FLEISCHER:  There's also a reflection of the fact that 88 percent of America's energy comes from fossil fuels.  The remaining 12 percent come from renewables, biomass, wind, solar.  It's a very small percentage.  And among that 12 percent -- you also have nuclear in that mix.  And so the amount of energy that can come from -- let me put it to you this way. The place that the American people get most of their energy that we are dependent on to preserve the American way of life does come from fossil fuels.  And within the remaining portion of the energy that the American people use, the President is committed to a conservation program to help Americans to conserve more.