Drill Baby Drill?
This cartoon raises a point that is overlooked by 95% of those involved in the national discussion of "energy independence" and/or "security". The idea of energy independence is a falsehood in relation to oil. The US uses so much and has such small reserves that independence is a pipe dream. Beyond that, oil is a fungible commodity (more or less). This means that oil is roughly interchangeable in the world commodity market. The downside of this is that any decrease in American consumption of oil is offset by increased demand in rapidly developing countries such as China, India, and Indonesia. It also means that it is virtually impossible to guarantee that any new American oil production is kept in American markets for American use. Oil is essentially put into one big global pot for use all over the world; it is effectively impossible to separate where you are buying oil from and where your oil ends up. Hence, drilling in ANWR or deepwater shelfs in the Gulf of Mexico does virtually nothing to make the United States "independent" of foreign oil, nor would it cut off oil wealth for iffy countries such as Venezuela, Russia, Saudi Arabia, or Iran. This country can do little to stop oil wealth accumulating in these countries as any decline in our consumption will most likely be offset by increased demand elsewhere, but we should still be seeking to reduce overall oil use for environmental and economic reasons. Reduce oil consumption, not increased oil production, is the clearest path to a secure, environmentally friendly future for the United States of America.
I encourage everyone to research this issue. Sarah Palin has asserted that Alaska produces 20% of the United States' energy. The real figure is closer to 3%. This aspect (the fungibility of oil) of the "energy independence" debate, although fundamental to the discussion, has been ignored by most mainstream outlets. However, there are many interesting, informative blogs online which I would suggest reading. In particular, Google the article "Our Silly Little Addiction". Please decide for yourself and vote in November.
