Does it matter where the U.S. gets its oil? (AP Photos/Hasan Jamali)
The benefits of oil independence
There’s nothing wrong with foreign oil, said Joel Stein in the Los Angeles Times. “It means other nations clog their beaches with ugly rigs, do dangerous work and suffer environmental disasters,” while drivers here in America get the gasoline. So it’s puzzling to hear both Barack Obama and John McCain fighting over who’s more serious about making the U.S. energy independent.
It’s obvious why we need to shake our addiction to foreign oil, said the Detroit Free Press in an editorial. We get two-thirds of our oil from overseas, and “much of it comes from lands that are engulfed in political turmoil.” The day when we achieve energy independence is the day when we can stop worrying that a disruption of supply will ruin our economy.
America needs to break its addiction to oil, period, said Nicholas Callero in the Oregon’s Statesman Journal. “Even if we drilled every last precious place in America, we have neither the oil reserves nor the ability to produce it in large enough quantities to make a dent in world oil prices.” Finding alternative fuels is the only way to really slash oil imports, and save the planet.
It would take decades to switch over to alternative power sources, said Gregory Scoblete in RealClearPolitics. And, contrary to what many believe, kicking foreign oil won’t dry up terrorist financing, as Saudi Arabia and Iran will always be able to sell every drop they produce to booming China and India. “Like Santa Claus, energy independence is an alluring figment of our imagination.”
Comment on this article
Recent comments | 3 total
It is frightening to see the American public back this guy so strongly when he can get on TV and state he will get rid of our use of foreign oil in 10 years. So he will be able to get all airlines to buy new planes and not use any oil in 10 years. He is a genius. He must have a new chemical for a new lubricant so we will not need petroleum products any more. Our Savior has arrived!
We can certainly replace oil as a fuel for cars and homes in 10 years. This would be a great leap forward.
"...the "debate" over energy independence is not only disingenuous, it's also a major distraction from the much more crucial question—namely, how we're going to build a secure and sustainable energy system. Because what America should be striving for isn't energy independence, but energy security—that is, access to energy sources that are reliable and reasonably affordable, that can be deployed quickly and easily, yet are also safe and politically and environmentally sustainable. And let's not sugarcoat it. Achieving real, lasting energy security is going to be extraordinarily hard, not only because of the scale of the endeavor, but because many of our assumptions about energy—about the speed with which new technologies can be rolled out, for example, or the role of markets—are woefully exaggerated." The Seven Myths of Energy Independence by Paul Roberts
digg del.icio.us stumbleUpon newsvine reddit furl