It is important that America should take immediate action to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. If America continues to have a great demand for it, it will create a threat to the country’s economy and national security. There are three primary actions that America might take in order to reduce its dependence on foreign oil: Alaskan oil drilling, off-shore oil drilling, and natural gas drilling.
America’s dependence on foreign oil is a threat to its economy. Per minute, America wastes $200,000 and per hour, $13 million by relying on it (Natural Resources Defense Council, p. 1). Gasoline consumption has led to an increase of costs of oil which is passed on to consumers at the pump, through more expensive goods and services, and in a weaker job market and lower stock prices (Natural Resources Defense Council, p. 3). Therefore, if current trends in oil demand and prices continue, economic impacts for the U.S. will intensify. It is possible for America to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, but the petroleum industries and other monopolies have paid Congress to take out the competition (Worthington, p. 1). Legal monopolies are targeting the market effects of foreign oil, which increases profits, while America’s government obliges them. Unfortunately, these de jure monopolies have kept America in a dirty fuel monopoly that has been arranged to terminate its only competition to create a government-granted monopoly (Worthington, p. 1). As for the national security, by importing more and more oil each year, there is an increase of demand and a decrease in domestic production. The United States can become more secure by enforcing the work on farms and factories to reduce our thirst for foreign oil (Natural Resources Defens...
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...es revenue from the sale of offshore charters and helps win political support for energy and climate legislation (Broder, p. 2). The political response to off-shore drilling is positively approved. The Offshore oil drilling plan is considered to be a new chapter in the nation’s search for an approachable energy policy that can release new areas to oil and gas enlargement. Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, has said that he hoped to rebalance the nation’s oil and gas policy to block oil exploration beneath virtually all public lands and waters (Broder, p. 3). An option, that was introduced, other than depending on foreign oil and reducing oil imports was the use of biofuels. This can lead to an increase of the purchase of hybrid cars for the motor industry. Off-shore drilling is an appropriate action that can reduce the amount of foreign oil imported by America.
The United States has had several scares throughout its history in terms of oil, most turn out to be over exaggerations of a small event. However, these scares highlight a massive issue with the U.S. and that issue is the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil. Why does it matter that our oil should come from over seas? In a healthy economy this probably wouldn’t be as relevant, but the U.S.’s economy is not exactly healthy at the moment. There are 4 things that I would like to address: what the problem is, how it affects us, what some solutions are, and what solutions I feel are best.
Michael Klare's Blood and Oil Michael Klare has written an interesting and very relevant book, dealing as it does with the politics of oil, US foreign policy, the Middle East, and the causes of terrorism. He writes with a clear purpose and that is to argue that America's "securitization" of oil and its willingness to use military force in order to secure its supplies of oil have been a major mistake. His main argument is that ever since the meeting on the Suez Canal in February 1945 between Ibn Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and President Roosevelt, that America has supported despotic regimes in the Middle East in exchange for guarantees of oil supply, and that this is a deal, which undermines American commitment to and support for democracy and freedom. Furthermore, Klare believes that unless American policies change dramatically, there is likely to be an increase in conflict over oil, as countries such as China, which is dependent on imported oil (like the U.S.), attempt to secure their own oil supplies. Oil is a finite resource, which will be in increasingly short supply over the next few years, and production may now be near its "peak." In short, he believes that America must act now to move to a post-oil economy, taking exceptional measures to reduce the use of petroleum by motor vehicles and to introduce alternative fuels. ...
Almost every single nation in our world today, the United States included, is extremely reliant on oil and how much of it we can obtain. Wars have been started between countries vying for control of this valuable natural resource. The United States as a whole has been trying to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and has had some success, especially with the discovery of the Bakken formation and projects like the Keystone Pipeline.
There is an abundance of oil underneath earth’s crust on land and in the water but getting to that oil can be proven as a challenge and a negative impact on the earth. Many of these oil reservoirs lie in federally protected land or water to minimize the negative impact on the earth. But should those restrictions be removed? Removing the restrictions can allow the US to tap into domestic reserves rather than rely on imported oil from the Middle East and Asia but tapping these reservoirs can also leave behind an impact that is harmful to this planet. “Critics oppose this move for fear that it will cause irreparable harm environmental harm. They point to the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as evidence of the risks associated with offshore drilling” (SIRS).
In some shape or form, nearly all aspects of American life contribute to unnecessary exploitation of natural resources. The automobile is a staple of American life and culture, and perhaps best exemplifies Americans’ dependence on gross quantities of raw materials. On any given day, over 235 million vehicles travel 11 billion miles on U.S. highways, consuming nearly 20 million barrels of oil daily 1,2,3. Worldwide, oil consumption has reached a 16-year high of 80.6 million barrels per day 17. Most important of all, proven oil reserves around the world only provide roughly 40 years of production at these current rates 18. Oil consumers ignore this reality either through lack of education or simple apathy, because right now there are no immediate consequences to consuming such vast volumes of a polluting, non-renewable resource. Numbers like those mentioned above are so large it is difficult for one to fathom their true magnitude, however they still convey the reliance average Americans have on their automobiles and oil.
... we may see a serious act in the near future to start the process of drilling. With a solid combination and profitability factor the U.S. could prevent the rising gasoline prices. We need to however, continue our search for other alternatives do to our limited resource of oil. For this reason, I am in favor of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and also the exploration of alternative fuel sources, as well as ways to conserve fuel. This combination should provide the United States with an energy policy that is both financially stable and environmentally sound.
People need oil for daily life and work. Since World War II, oil had caused many serious problems in United States and throughout the world. Remarkably, economic and social problems were heightened by the emerging energy crisis. By 1974, the United States gained a third of its oil by importing from the Middle East.[ James Oakes, et al. Of The People: A History Of The United States (Oxford University Press, 2011), 881.] When the heavy war between Israel and Arabia erupted, the United States was not able to gain enough petroleum because it supported Israel. To show the dissatisfaction with the United States’ support to Israel, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries even raised oil prices. “Overnight, OPEC raised the price of its oil from $3 to $5.11/By ”[ Merrill, Karen R.. The oil crisis of 1973-1974: a brief history with documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007, 22.] Not surprisingly, the United States was strongly affected by the oil shortage and the the high price of oil. Homes and businesses could not easily solve the serious problem. Drastic protests occurred in many states such as Arkansas, New York, and Florida because a huge number of drivers could not accept the high price of gasoline.[ Merrill, Karen R.. The oil crisis of 1973-1974: a brief history with documents, 1.] Transportation was decreased in order to use less oil. Faced to the great challenge, several presidents analyzed the seriousness about the oil crisis and provided effective ways of reducing the use of oil.
Over the last five to seven years, the American people have had to pay outrageous prices at the gas pumps, wildly fluctuating from under $2.00 a gallon or less to paying $4.00 a gallon or even higher for gasoline. This issue of paying unreasonable and unpredictable prices at the pump comes from the higher prices of oil. Most will say that oil prices fluctuate so because of conflicts in the Middle East or due to shortages of oil, but the simple reason of the oil prices go up so high is because of oil speculation. Oil speculation is the single greatest problem of higher gas prices further causing more economic problems and compounding living for the middle and lower class individuals and families. The economical truth is that speculation is not a necessary thing. In fact, it inhibits the economic growth of the nation and will either stifle or completely suppress any economic growth or recovery. The solution to this problem is essential to the survival of the future of the United States’ economy and industrialization.
Whether we get around by car, bus, or plane, oil is an important factor in most people's lives. The demand is huge, and prices have shot up fast, making us now seek sources for oil in other countries or by drilling offshore. This essay will address the issue from Taking Sides (2013) of “Should we drill offshore for oil?” First, I will talk about the benefits of offshore drilling, economically and socially. Next, I will talk about various arguments against offshore drilling, paying special attention to possible environmental threats. Finally, I will say my personal beliefs, taking both sides into consideration.
America is dependent on other nations for their ability to create energy. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of oil at 18.49 million barrels of oil per day. And it will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future considering the next largest customer of oil only consumes about 60% of what the U.S. does. This makes the U.S. vulnerable to any instability that may arise in the energy industry. In 2011, the world’s top three oil companies were Saudi Aramco (12%), National Iranian Oil Company (5%), and China National Petroleum Corp (4%). The risk associated with these countries being the top oil producers is twofold. One, they are located half way around the world making it an expensive to transport the product logistically to a desired destination. And two, the U.S. has weak, if not contentious,...
Throughout the past three decades, energy has been a perennial issue in United States politics, economics, and media. The main concern surrounding this topic is the idea of energy independence and how the United States should proceed into the future. Energy independence relates to the goal of reducing United States dependence on importing foreign oil and other foreign energy sources. This desire aims to maintain energy dependence domestically so the United States can avoid reliance on any unstable countries and be detached from global energy supply distribution. It is currently being speculated that the United States might not be too far off from this goal. America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since 2007. In 2010, the U.S. imported less than 50 percent of the oil the country consumed -- the first time that’s happened in 13 years -- and the trend continued in 2011 (Zhang.) Experts credit new technology as the reason the United States is within several years of again becoming the biggest oil producer in the world, and perhaps two decades away from full energy independence. Hydraulic fracturing, fracking, is the “lead” technology in this technological revolution. Fracking is an economically more feasible way of drilling for oil or gas in harder to reach geological formation. Within the past decade or so, combining hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling has opened up shale deposits across the country. It has brought large-scale natural gas drilling to new regions that may not have had accessible deposits in the past. These areas have greatly benefited from the addition of this industry to their local economies. Certain are...
Indeed, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) predicts that domestic petroleum consumption will increase to 60 Btu by the year 2025. This statistic, in and of itself, is a matter of concern with respect to the greenhouse gas emissions that result from petroleum combustion. However, perhaps more disconcerting is the fact that U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 and has continued to fall since then (Campbell et. al., 1998). Therefore, the American public has turned to foreign oil, in particular Middle Eastern oil, to supplement its increase in demand. In an age where terrorism is at the forefront of people's minds, we still continue to import oil from the same nations that supposedly harbor so-called terrorist groups. The fact is that we are unwilling to responsibly face our energy future and instead choose to maintain a policy of increasing oil supply through importation.
Semantically fossil fuels are a renewable source of energy, however given that it takes millions of years for the organic materials to be broken down and converted, it is wholly unrealistic to consider them as renewable. As the demand for fossil fuels increases and source diminish faster than they are replentished, the United States must work towards a renewable energy independent state using truly renable sources, both technically and in practice. With changes in the home, as consumers in buying goods and with alternative fuel sources backed by public trust and governmental involvement, the United States could drastically lessen its dependence on fossil fuels, foreign and domestic.
The U.S dependency on foreign oil presents many negative impacts on the nation’s economy. The cost for crude oil represents about 36% of the U.S balance of payment deficit. (Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. F. 2011). This does not affect directly the price of gas being paid by consumers, but the money paid circulates in the country’s economy and affects areas such as; the job market and production facilities. (Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. F. 2011). In addition to the rise in prices, another negative aspect of the U.S dependency on foreign crude oil is the risk of supply disruptions caused by political instability of the Middle East. According to Rebecca Lefton and Daniel J. Weiss in the Article “Oil Dependence Is a Dangerous Habit” in 2010, the U.S imported 4 million barrels of oil a day or 1.5 billion barrels per year from “dangerous or unstable” countries. The prices in which these barrels are being purchased at are still very high, and often lead to conflict between the U.S and Middle Eastern countries. Lefton and Weiss also add that the U.S reliance on oil from countries ...
The current world dependence on oil leaves much to be said about the impact of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East on foreign policy and international politics. Presently the world's largest consumer of oil, the U.S. depends on Saudi Arabia and much of the Middle East for the energy to run its businesses, its homes, and most importantly, its automobiles. In the past few months U.S. consumers have felt the pressures of increasing gasoline prices as they struggle to commute and live their daily lives. This leaves the U.S. with important decisions to be made on behalf of its citizens and its position in the international realm.