America is even more “addicted” to foreign oil today, than we were in 1973 – 1974 when OPEC, Saudi Arabia and other suppliers from the Middle-East stopped selling us their fossil fuels, and created a significant blow to our economy.
According to the CIA Fact Book, Every Day, the U.S. produces 7,460,000 bbls of oil and consumes 20,800,000 bbls of oil.
65% of America’s energy supplies are now imported from suppliers from foreign countries.
Simply put, about 65% of the gasoline in your car’s gas tank, comes from a foreign country. Everyday, the U.S. must import over 13 million bbls of oil from foreign countries and foreign suppliers to meet demand.
At $80/barrel of oil, this also means that $1,040,000,000.00 American Dollars leave our country, every day, to foreign countries/suppliers of our fossil fuels, to pay for the energy we need.
That’s $1 Billion EVERY day leaving our economy, and going to support a foreign country’s economy.
Talk about our foreign trade deficit. Nearly $400 Billion each year, leaves our country to pay for our oil addiction and the energy we need. To be exact, that’s $379,600,000,000.00 American Dollars.
This is not acceptable.
America needs to quickly transition to energy independence.
Renewable energy is the only way America can achieve energy independence.
Millions of new and sustainable american jobs would be created here at home, if we would end our addiction to foreign fossil fuels, and quickly transition to an economy based on renewable energy and renewable fuels, produced here in the U.S.A.
The good news is that today, America already has all of the renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies needed to make american energy independence a reality.
Green Energy
According to Monty Goodell, Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, “Our increased dependence and reliance on foreign energy supplies represents a Clear and Present Danger to our national security, our economy, and the lives and livelihood of every American. Energy – including the energy we use from imported fossil fuels, is the very “lifeblood” of the American economy as it is for every industrialized country. An economy dies without it’s lifeblood of energy. This Clear and Present Danger we face is far more serious than the problems related to greenhouse gas emissions. And while greenhouse gas emissions are very serious issue, in the long-term, pales in comparison to America’s vital national security interests and America’s economic stability in the short term. For this reason alone, America needs to transition away from its addiction to foreign energy supplies. And America’s abundant renewable energy resources such as the energy we receive from the sun, and renewable energy technologies such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants – can supply 100% of America’s power requirements with a concentrating solar power plant measuring 75 miles by 75 miles, located in the Southwest U.S. By generating America’s power from concentrating solar power plants, America resolves its’ short-term Clear and Present Danger as it relates to importing its energy from foreign countries, and the long-term problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Continuing, Mr. Goodell states that “Too many Americans have forgotten what happened to us in 1973, when the Arabs and OPEC brought the United States economy to a screeching halt during the OPEC Oil Embargo. This happened because they (mainly the country of Saudi Arabia) disagreed with our foreign policy and is the reason why they “turned off the tap” of our need for their oil supplies. When Saudi Arabia and OPEC stopped the vital flow of oil to our country in 1973, they caused an “oil shock” that severely and negatively impacted our economy.”
Mr. Goodell’s question for us to ponder is, “Do these countries who sell us 60% of our daily energy requirements, like us and our foreign policy, or might they leverage our addiction to their fossil fuels, and turn off the tap to make us adjust or revise our foreign policy? Like any addict, America’s foreign policy may be held hostage to its addiction, and in this case, our addiction to foreign oil, may over-ride our national interests.”
“Apparently so.” Mr. Goodell states that “in 1973, America was ‘addicted’ and ‘over the barrel’ of foreign oil to the amount of 40%. Forty percent of our energy ‘needs’ in 1973 came from countries – many of which didn’t like us then, and I’m afraid, many of them still don’t. The difference between 1973 and today – is that today we receive 50% MORE foreign oil now than we did in 1973. And now we know about the problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions that we didn’t know then. America needs to change course, and change course now, in terms of its’ energy supplies and how we keep America’s economy strong, without the threat of being held hostage to a middle-east tyrant or regime, that could once again, turn on us, and turn off our supply of foreign oil.”
Remember 1973
“Sadly, most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars – lined up and waiting for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks long. And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that the gas station had run out of gas.
Let me Repeat. That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries – and many of these from countries that don’t like us.
Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson. We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas.
America is “over the barrel” and it’s not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries. Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need?
Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil – whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us?
To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger.
America’s reliance for 60% of our energy “needs” coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.
The “driver” to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation’s national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let’s start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com or www.DistributedPV.com for more information. Let’s create incentives begin with adopting a national “Feed In Tariff” as Germany did in 1990.
We simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands. We need to end our dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that don’t like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources.”
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