Is it an "Energy Crisis" or an "Intellectual Crisis"?

How asinine is our energy situation? Just how foolish are we perceived to be by other countries such as China and Russia? Can you imagine a household conversation in one of those countries after receiving news that the White House blocked the Keystone Pipeline project? Energy is always a hot topic for me because I’ve been in the oilfield for 13 years, but turmoil in the Middle East puts a new spin on things. Of course we’re no strangers to the toll that unrest in OPEC countries puts on the price of oil, nor are we strangers to unrest in the Middle East….period. (If you’re scratching your head, just run a Google Search on “1979 oil embargo” or “Israeli 7 day war” – that’ll get you started.) With so many precedents set, how can we put ourselves in such a vulnerable position? According to "World Crude Oil Consumption By Year" (2012), the U.S. consumes 18.81 million barrels of crude oil each day, which is about 25% of the world’s daily consumption. Of the crude we use per day, more than half of it is imported. Of the oil imported, the majority of it comes from unstable Middle Eastern countries. The economic impact of $300 per barrel of crude, as predicted by experts, would surpass any previous incident and put a hamper on national security. Despite ominous warnings, our trusted leaders continue to bicker behind red tape, as if we have time to do so. I pray each day that our leaders will move our nation toward independence from foreign oil. Meanwhile, I’m trying to earn a spot on National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers.

“The difference is, even with oil now about half the price it was last July, we are spending more than $350 billion — not just as a one-time expenditure, but every year — to pay for imported oil that will not create a single new job in America, won’t repair a single bridge and won’t repave a single highway. We are still importing nearly 70 percent of the oil we use. Much of it comes from countries that are in unstable regions or that are unfriendly to the United States — or both.”

 ~T. Boone Pickens, July 8, 2009

Bibliography

World crude oil consumption by year. (2012). Retrieved from

 http://www.indexmundi.com/energy.aspx

One year later, we still import too much oil. (2010). Retrieved from

            http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24652.html