Almost every day I see a new story in the press about America magically becoming “energy independent.” In a story this morning I read where the US now produces 81% of it’s energy needs! I guess to this reporter and the DOE, energy is energy, no matter how it’s used. Good grief. It almost feels like journalists and government officials are trying to mislead an unsuspecting public.
For the millionth time, we don’t have an “energy” problem! We have oceans of natural gas for electricity generation, heating and cooking. Coal keeps the lights on across the country and we could be getting a LOT more electricity from nuclear power if we could just get government out of the way. And we’ve got renewables doing all they can to pull less than one-percent of the load. “Energy” is not the issue. Oil is what we need to be looking at, but even here it seems national journalists are blind to the numbers.
In this morning’s Bloomberg story I read where the United States may be able to produce seven million barrels of oil per day within three years, up 1.1 million barrels from what the nation’s oil and gas companies are producing today. While that is certainly great news, there’s another number to consider—18.5 million barrels. That’s the daily amount of oil the US uses today while our economy continues to sputter. When business picks up (if government officials will stop impeding a recovery) that number will quickly return to the pre-recession days of 20 million barrels a day. The best-case scenario then is that the US produces 7 million barrels while consuming 20. Does that sound like “independence” or “security” to you?
No, I’m not someone who thinks we need to produce all the oil we use. It’s not possible, nor is it necessary. However, we do need to consider the macro forces in play. Three quarters of the world is just now trying to industrialize. China is buying up oil supplies everywhere it can, including here and in Canada. People in India are buying the new $2,000 Tata Nano car as fast as they come of the assembly line. And the Middle East remains tumultuous and unpredictable. Israel and Iran seem destined to a showdown very soon. The big forces are squeezing the gap between supply and demand and a sudden disruption could easily send oil prices rocketing.
It is oil that fuels the modern world through transportation and the pressure to produce more oil for the global economy is not going to ease up (unless politicians drive the economy off a cliff and greatly reduce demand).
So when you hear journalists and “experts” talk about America becoming more “energy independent” don’t drink the Kool-Aid. The generic term “energy” used to define electricity, heating/cooling, fuel for food preparation and transportation is a highly misleading term. Fuel for transportation is by far the most important piece of the energy picture and it is by no means secure.
9 Responses to “The “Energy” Deception”
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Mark,
Saw your movie yesterday (2/7/12) in Midland, Texas.
What a fine job you and your crew did! Your presentation of historical information about energy as well as concrete, common sense facts and conclusions based on science and fact, is a breath of fresh air. You did not sugar coat issues, but you DID point out facts associated with problems and how the industry has improved over time. Many ‘so called’ environmentalists have closed minds/eyes/foresight about the necessity of producing our OWN oil & gas reserves.
If people would watch the movie with truly objective eyes, it would educate many, many people about the current state of the industry, the benefits & needs of oil and gas and perhaps garner more support for what needs to be done in the future for our country and our citizens.
Thanks again for your efforts and your movie.
Tim Cleverdon
Midland, Texas
Tim,
Thanks for taking the time to write. I appreciate the support and hope you will continue to spread the word about spOILed.
Mark Mathis
I just saw the movie this afternoon. I am truly grateful that you took it upon yourself to help Americans wake up. I want my son to have a future and now feel empowered to facilitate change. Thanks for the Q & A after the movie. Take care and good luck.
Melissa, that’s a big reason why I made the movie. I have two kids in high school. I want them to enjoy the kind of life that I have had. It won’t happen if we don’t change course… and quickly.
Mark
Our Production / Operations team at PDC Energy Inc. had a viewing of the movie a couple weeks ago. Absolutely loved it! Now that’s journalism at its best! Nice work. I bought the movie for myself and another DVD to pass around to my family and their households for a better understanding of the industry I work in. Thank you so much for doing this huge project and getting this information out there. – it was very much needed.
Thanks, Heidi
We really appreciate you taking the time to write and for spreading the word about this important film. We need to get spOILed onto a national stage and we need all the help we can get to make this happen!
have only seen excerpts – but this was enough to convince me that this is one of the best films on our industry that has been made. I have been in the industry for 38 years. We do both engineering consulting & visual resource management using our other company Structural Illusions [www.structuralillusions.com] do assist the developers in improving the appearance of their equipment and helping it to blend in to the surrounding environment.
JC, we look forward to getting your feedback once you have a chance to watch the film!
COGA did a screening of your film a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. I’ve ordered a copy to begin sharing with friends and family. We share a similar mission of correcting the misinformation campaign that exists with factual and visual mediums. (My agency educates via infographics.) Thanks to you and your team for your excellence in journalism and posing the right questions.