Oil Drilling and Exploration

Drain America First?


Why do we want to drill in the USA now?



If this is so obvious to me, why doesn't anyone else understand it?

The USA has between 1.5 and 3% of the world's petroleum reserves.

The USA uses about 23% of the world's petroleum.

If we tap the oil reserves in the United States now, we will use them up quickly. After that, we will be totally dependent on other countries for petroleum. To the extent that a nationalistic strategy makes sense; we should import our oil now. Then in about 50 years we will be in a relative position of strength. We will have a larger percentage of what is left. Even though I don't support further exploration/drilling in the USA now, in 50 years, things might be different.

Why is this obvious fact missed by so many?

• Short term thinking.
• Jingoism.
• Irrational optimism.
  

Real solutions involve massive, culturally difficult, changes in fuel use. In the USA, we have just begun the stretch toward efficiency. Alternative sources of energy will be important, but we will never find sources as cheap and easy as fossil fuels. Completely new alternatives are possible, but they are not inevitable.