This first
appeared here and I wish to thank Alan for allowing me to publish his
work. RK
Watching the
events unfold in the Middle East, it occurred to me that, if we had a president
who had even the slightest grasp of energy facts, we could be living in a
nation that is not dependent in part on Middle East oil.
Instead, we have
a president who will not allow the Keystone XL pipeline to be extended from
Canada at no cost to American taxpayers while providing thousands of jobs,
short and long-term and whose administration denies access to the nation’s vast
energy reserves.
Why? Some
observers say President Obama is trying to maintain his bona fides among
environmentalists and it’s important to keep in mind that virtually every major
environmental organization opposes any and all forms of energy development. I
suspect the President simply sees the pipeline as symbolic of his overall
attack on America’s ability to have sufficient energy to meet its needs and
provide for growth. It is an attack on our economy.
Billions of
gallons of crude oil is used daily in America and the nation has an extensive
network of pipelines to transport it; approximately 55,000 miles. In addition
there is also an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 miles of small gathering lines,
located primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Wyoming with small systems
in a number of other oil producing states. Right now, hundreds of miles of
Keystone XL pipe sit idle on 83 acres of leased land outside Gascoyne, North
Dakota.
Testifying in
April before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources, Dan Simmons of the Institute for Energy Research, said that both
America and our neighbor Mexico are energy rich countries with total
recoverable oil reserves that exceed 1.7 trillion barrels. At our current rate
of use, that is enough for the next 242 years.
In terms of
natural gas, North America has approximately 4.2 quadrillion cubic feet, enough
for 176 years at the current rate of use. U.S. recoverable coal reserves are
estimated at more than 497 billion short tons; enough for nearly 500 years at
our current rate of use.
As events in
Egypt are reported, commentators note the importance of the Suez Canal through
which much of the oil the West uses must pass, but given the U.S. oil reserves
our nation could function independent of that imported oil.
Ironically, we
will have to build more pipelines to transport it internally and we need to
build more liquid gas facilities to export our huge reserves of natural gas.
This is not likely to occur over the remaining years of the Obama
administration, nor will the shutdowns of coal-fired plants in a nation that is
the Saudi Arabia of coal cease. Coal in federally controlled land is estimated
to be worth $22.5 trillion to the U.S. economy, but it remains barred from
mining.
Not only could
the U.S. be energy independent, but could be a major exporter to other nations
because oil, natural gas, and coal will comprise almost eighty percent of the
global energy supply in 2040. Energy demand is expected to grow by fifty-six
percent between now and 2040, mostly due to the economic growth of nations such
as China and India.
The nation
remains mired in an economy that is barely growing at two percent annually and
part of that is due to the energy policies of the Obama administration. As this
is being written, the Obama Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Department,
and other agencies have quietly raised their estimated “social cost” of carbon
emissions from $21 per ton to $35 per ton. The increase was not debated in
Congress, nor available for public review. Instead, its announcement was buried
in an unrelated Energy Department regulation on microwave ovens!
Having been
defeated in its efforts to impose a tax on carbon emissions, the Obama
administration is engaging in the outright fraud of claiming that carbon
emissions are causing global warming/climate change. As part of its war on
energy provision the Obama administrated wasted billions on wind power, solar
power, and electric car company failures throughout its first term. Without
mandates and subsidies, none of these enterprises could remain in business or
be competitive.
The U.S. economy
should be booming given the huge reserves of natural gas and oil that exist
nationwide, but instead it remains hostage to nations such as Saudi Arabia. At
the same time a major oil exporter, Iraq, has seen its exports reduced due to
the turmoil that has escalated since the U.S. military was withdrawn. Sanctions
on Iran affect its oil exports. Expect the cost of oil to remain high for years
to come.
The U.S. is
suffering from the attacks on its energy sector by the major environmental
organizations such as the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth at the same time
the Obama administration continues its regulatory attacks to reduce the coal
mining industry and restrict access to oil reserves. In states and on privately
owned lands, there is a boom in natural gas extraction.
Every American
who fills up his auto’s gas tank, air conditions or heats their home or
apartment, and whose livelihood is directly affected by the cost and
availability of energy is being held hostage by the Obama administration,
forced to pay higher costs and forced to suffer the loss of opportunity in a
nation whose access to its own vast energy reserves is being denied.
No comments:
Post a Comment