Someone sent me a thought provoking email which suggested there are more fossil fuels right here in the US than anywhere else in the world, maybe even more than everywhere else in the world combined. The question was, “Then why aren’t we drilling more for it right here and right now? I have my own view on the matter:
Of course we have lots of oil we aren’t producing. Anyone with a brain can’t possibly believe we are not drilling in ANWR because the caribou would have to move elsewhere. Even if they became extinct, which is a ridiculous assertion, who would miss them? Who do you know that goes caribou hunting? Even if some rich people can afford it, why couldn’t they go elk hunting instead . . . or not hunt at all? Keep in mind, 99% of the species that ever lived . . . are now extinct. You also hear that “We don’t want to spoil the beauty of that nice wilderness.” If we drill and pump oil all over TX, OK, PA, etc., why the hell wouldn’t we drill in ANWR where it’s not even hard to retrieve (because it is imbedded in shale as is the case (I believe) in BAkken? And who do you know–or even ever heard of–who goes on a vacation–even an eco-vacation–to ANWR? Nobody! Too far, too cold, too expensive, no big airports, no restaurants, no hotels, and nothing to see or do. Oh, a little bit of the permafrost might melt a little? Give me a break. So why aren’t we drilling there right now?
My theory is short and sweet (as in sweet crude). We are hoarding it, and rightfully so. We all agree there is a finite amount of oil on the planet. We all agree wind, solar, tidal, etc. will never replace oil (and fusion is 50 years out or maybe impossible to ever tame anyway. So is nuclear. Therefore, lets burn up all the Muammar Gaddaf’s oil, Hugo Chavez’ oil, Mahmoud Imanutjob’s oil, etc. first! Ten years from now—maybe even just two years, for sure 20 years–$100/barrel will seem dirt cheap. Let’s keep our production artificially low now while we consume our geo-political “competitors’” petroleum products first. Let’s use all the oil we can from Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Libya, etc. Then, in 20 years when the economic might of China or India is about to bring us to our knees, we can fight back with our tremendous, newly-found, economic might!
High tech weaponry won WWII for us and has kept us safe ever since. (It also has won countless battles over the millennia. But it isn’t cheap. If we cannot maintain economic superiority, we will eventually be overrun by the likes of China, Russia, or even India.
So “shhhhhhh!”
Tags: "proven reserves" iran, "saudi arabia" china, anwr, balle, iraq, oil reserves, UAE, Venezuela
April 7, 2011 at 11:22 pm |
Leesail,
We have more undeveloped oil and natural gas in this country to fuel this countries needs for another 250 years. We are not developing oil and natural gas because we have been in an economic war for the last 60 years. We are losing because our enemies are embedded in our government and industries. If we really wanted to we could make this world a utopia. But that would mean that people who control our energy would have less.