Lee Terry (idiot R Ne)has plan for energy independence

[Omaha Steve]

This guy only follows his party. He didn't do this on his own.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10345549

Published Thursday May 29, 2008
Lee Terry has plan for energy independence
BY JOSEPH MORTON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON — The United States could break its dependence on Middle Eastern oil in the course of the next decade by pursuing a mix of alternative fuels, conservation and increased domestic oil production, Rep. Lee Terry said Wednesday.

"If we use all of our resources — alternative and traditional — we can be independent within seven to 10 years," Terry said. "It will take political compromise . . . but it can be done."

The United States now imports about 14 million barrels of oil a day, but the country has ways to get an additional 21.9 million barrels of fuel a day by 2020, he said.

The proposal is sure to encounter opposition and the prospects for it being adopted in the immediate future are dim, the Nebraska Republican acknowledged. He said that with gas prices certain to keep rising, however, the pressure on politicians to address the problem will continue to mount.

Terry advocates a healthy dose of ethanol, with 13.5 million barrels a day coming from so-called cellulosic ethanol. Another million barrels a day would come from stepped up corn-based ethanol production.

The future of ethanol is uncertain. Corn-based ethanol has come under heavy fire from critics who say it's driving up food prices.

FULL story at link.

[ixion]

1. biofuels and drilling in ANWR are NOT going to solve the problem

in fact, they will make it worse. But, hey, I never met a rethug who was burdened by the facts.

[Kolesar]

2. There's the canard about Middle East oil, when in fact the US imports from Mexico, Canada, Nigeria,

...and, until recently, Venezuela. The Middle East countries export to Japan and other eastern hemisphere consumers.

[moose65]

3. We also import from the Middle East

Especially from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait. It's true that the two largest amounts we import from Canada and Mexico, but we are a long way from being free of the Middle East. We also import from Venezuela. Here are the latest numbers from the Dept. of Energy (March 08 is the latest month they have.):

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nu...

Can we just "refuse" to buy from certain countries? How do we "cut off" the Middle East?

[moose65]

4. Another question:

Why do we *export* so much oil? We send oil to China, too! And the largest exports go to... Mexico! We even export oil to Canada, the country that we import the most from! This seems backward to me. I don't know much about economics, but it makes sense to me that if we "need" so much oil, we wouldn't be exporting 56 million barrels a month to other countries!

Link: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_expc_a_EP00_EEX_mbbl_m.htm

[DCKit]

5. Literally, a Shell game.

Keeping tankers-full of oil "in play" as they travel from one producing/consuming country to another allows for a lot of market manipulation.

[hatrack]

6. Man, what this guy doesn't know about energy & reserves & economics is LOT.

Assclown.