A local conservative blogger recently wrote a blog titled "I like big trucks and I cannot lie". This blog is a counterpoint to the article.
The article is available at http://katiekieffer.com/2011/08/15/i-like-big-trucks-and-i-cannot-lie/
The first point is that we (the US) must drill for more oil. Let's clarify a few things about oil. First, the US is the world's third largest producer of oil (source wikipedia). More than Iran, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, or Iraq. Second, the US is by far the largest consumer of oil. But here's the topping on the ice cream: the US has the 14th largest proven reserves of oil.
Back to drilling for oil. There are advancements in drilling techniques of which I know nothing about, but oil production can increase if we are willing to pay more for oil. Higher oil prices, which translate to higher gas prices, guarantee more oil because it is becomes economically feasible to drill miles below the oil floor when we pay $100/barrel.
So we are supposed to produce more oil, even though we have the 14th largest reserves in the world, and we are already third in production. As an analogy, Warren Buffet is the third richest person in the world, Babe Ruth is the third leading home run hitter of all time, the third fastest mile ran of all time is 3:46, and the world's third largest economy is China. Third isn't bad. That doesn't mean we shouldn't push for first. But oil production isn't sky-rocketing, not like the consumption of it.
So we can drill for more oil, fair enough, but most of the cheap oil is already found. The US will be drilling for off-shore oil, and tapping more expensive forms of oil. Additionally, we are depleting our reserves, and have been doing it faster than other countries. It's difficult to argue that gas prices will go down.
The next claim of this joke of a blog is that environmentalists are "behind the times", suggesting that the environmental movement is disconnected from reality. I'm wondering where the disconnection from reality was last summer when the largest oil spill in the world's history happened in the Gulf of Mexico. In my previous paragraph, I pointed out that offshore oil will continue to be a larger portion of the oil we recover. so while I don't expect there to be more oil well blowouts, I do expect that the US to do what the blogger bemoaned: enforce regulations that will better prevent oil spills.
The next concern is that President Obama's proposals for 54.5 mpg for cars doesn't rely on "natural, free-market" competition, and the "technology requires time to develop and become affordable". Unfortunately, that's the opposite of what's been happening in the US. Gas prices have been rising and the efficiency isn't much higher than it was in 1980.
I can go on. I've had the concern for years that the US needs to take relevant steps to decrease gas consumption. This blog and attitude it enforces does not accept the realities of the US oil reserves, worldwide oil consumption increasing, the environmental impact of oil consumption, and how the free market has not produced cheap gas. I actually don't think increasing CAFE standards is the best way to address gas prices. I think increasing the gas tax will do a better job of it. Instead of relying on auto-makers to make more efficient cars, consumers can decide which car to drive based on their driving needs and ability to afford it. It can be argued that high consumer taxes impact poor people, but in the last 10 years, we've already endured large increases in gas prices. Also, it's hard to argue that there will be a negative impact to the oil industry by taxing gas more. Oil is one of the most precious natural resources on the planet. Rather than cheering on to drill for more oil that's running out and believing the foolhardly lie that gas prices will fall significantly, I think we need to accept the economic reality that there's a limited amount of oil underneath the planet, and that it's not going down in price. The better approach is to start re-working our society and economy to not rely on cheap oil.
