Posted on 08/28/2011 11:01:53 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi
When it comes to energy, America is lucky to be next to Canada, whose proven oil reserves are estimated by Oil and Gas Journal at 175 billion barrels. This ranks just behind Saudi Arabia (260 billion) and Venezuela (211 billion) and ahead of Iran (137 billion) and Iraq (115 billion). True, about 97 percent of Canada's reserves consist of Alberta's controversial oil sands, but new technologies and high oil prices have made them economically viable. Expanded production can provide the U.S. market with a growing source of secure oil for decades.
We would be crazy to turn our back on this. In a global oil market repeatedly threatened by wars, revolutions, and natural and man-made disasters -- and where government-owned oil companies control development of about three-quarters of known reserves -- having dependable suppliers is no mean feat. We already import about half our oil, and Canada is our largest supplier with about 25 percent of imports. But its conventional fields are declining. Only oil sands can fill the gap.
Will we encourage this? Do we say "yes" to oil sands? Or do we increase our exposure to unstable world oil markets?
Those are the central questions posed by the proposed $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline connecting Alberta's oil sands to U.S. refineries on the Texas Gulf coast. The pipeline requires White House approval, and environmentalists adamantly oppose it.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
It appears that the WaPo/Newsweek economist plans to push this issue. Good.
To put it simply, we the people are gutless and held hostage by leftist politicians, the environmentalists and the LSM, otherwise we would rise up, develop it and free ourselves.
Just curious if you've ever heard a rational explanation why our government seems to be operating at cross purposes to the best "energy independent" interests of the country.
We have more oil reserves than the Saudis fercryinoutloud! Willful negligence or just a bunch of brain dead aholes?
Gas line company shaking the old tin cup to get that subsidy.
Not one thing in your post has anything to do with the pipe line, totally different topic.
I would give him a pass on this one...if you read the excerpt, it doesn’t even mention the pipeline and the problems it will face until the very last line. One could easily think the issue is otherwise, in my opinion.
My vote is for both.
President Palin will close the EPA and open the Canadian pipe line.
I'm inclined to agree, to the extent there are the community agitators, who actually know what they want, along with useful idiots and groupies following along like good little puppies. The community agitators on the one hand mouth platitudes about the need for energy independence while the other hand is shutting off the valves. And they're allowed to get away with this by the watchlap dogs in the mainstream press. Chaps my butt it does!
On its face the obvious result, if not the goal of the community agitators' efforts will be to weaken our current energy infrastructure. And for what? To make way for alternative energy sources when we're sitting on a KNOWN 100+ year supply already. Gives me a headache.
What REALLY pisses me off, is this combination of liberal environmentalism, antipathy to all things petroleum, nanny statism and liberal obsession with public transportation.
They know what is best for us, and are determined to make us take that road against our will. Liberals are determined to drive up the cost of energy to achieve this end, and it isn’t just because they don’t for a damned second understand the relationship between energy and an economy, but because they simply don’t care.
As a matter of fact, driving our economy into the toilet to achieve their goals in these respects would be a two-fer, putting our country in our proper place (in their world, USA making up “X” percent of the worlds population, and using “X” percent of the world’s resources instead of a much greater “Y” percent of resources)
I hate liberalism and all it stands for down to the bottom of my heart. As far as I am concerned, liberalism is the root of all things we have wrong with this country.
Scumbags.
Can’t say I disagree with anything you posted. The 2010 elections threw some sand in the gears of the the statists’ machine. If we can double down in 2012 and send these steaming piles of sepsis down the river we have a chance of rebuilding the republic. At 65 years old I would STILL take to the mattresses to allow my grandkids the joy of living in a free country. They deserve better than what we’ve allowed to happen.
It is evident you do not have the slightest concept as to massive volumes of crude oil or refined products are transported.
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