The U.S. and Oil: Behavior of an Addict
by Scott Perowitz, Save Our Country
In President Bush's 2006 State of the Union Address he referred to our use of oil as an "addiction". Current calls to drill in the Arctic and offshore along with responses to Al Gore's plan is nothing but the response of an addict and its enablers.
Jack Henningfield of John Hopkins University refers to the plan as a “nicotine” patch. While nicotine patches, when used as part of a long term plan, can help wean a person off of nicotine it is just a very short term solution. It does not change the behavior of the addict; it allows the addict to continue using, just from a different source. The stark difference here though is that our patch could have substantial environmental impacts if it is not properly implemented. There is a very serious risk of causing significant environmental harm and there is also the distinct possibility that this patch will not have any benefit.
The absolute, most optimistic estimates put production at a level that will provide us with 1% of our daily consumption needs. We currently import 70% of our oil! Also, if we increase our domestic production by 1% then all OPEC has to do is decrease theirs by 1%. However the real problem is that by the time this increase can come to market (seven to ten years best estimate), worldwide consumption will have easily eclipsed these gains. The planning to open these areas to off shore drilling is synonymous to a smoker saying, “just one more cigarette”, an alcoholic saying, “just one more drink”, or drug user, “shooting up one last time”. Denying this fact is denying the real problem and it simply puts off the inevitable pain of ending the addiction or the addiction ending the addict’s life.
(Continued here.)
In President Bush's 2006 State of the Union Address he referred to our use of oil as an "addiction". Current calls to drill in the Arctic and offshore along with responses to Al Gore's plan is nothing but the response of an addict and its enablers.
Jack Henningfield of John Hopkins University refers to the plan as a “nicotine” patch. While nicotine patches, when used as part of a long term plan, can help wean a person off of nicotine it is just a very short term solution. It does not change the behavior of the addict; it allows the addict to continue using, just from a different source. The stark difference here though is that our patch could have substantial environmental impacts if it is not properly implemented. There is a very serious risk of causing significant environmental harm and there is also the distinct possibility that this patch will not have any benefit.
The absolute, most optimistic estimates put production at a level that will provide us with 1% of our daily consumption needs. We currently import 70% of our oil! Also, if we increase our domestic production by 1% then all OPEC has to do is decrease theirs by 1%. However the real problem is that by the time this increase can come to market (seven to ten years best estimate), worldwide consumption will have easily eclipsed these gains. The planning to open these areas to off shore drilling is synonymous to a smoker saying, “just one more cigarette”, an alcoholic saying, “just one more drink”, or drug user, “shooting up one last time”. Denying this fact is denying the real problem and it simply puts off the inevitable pain of ending the addiction or the addiction ending the addict’s life.
(Continued here.)
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