America has an energy problem. This is the reality; it is not a talking point. The United States imports more than half of all the oil it uses. Our ability to produce more is hampered by the continuing efforts by the Obama administration to cut production in the name of environmentalism. That is why there is a drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. That is why there is no drilling in ANWAR in Alaska, a small reserve area with reserves that have a current market value of close to three quarters of a trillion dollars.
We could use coal to power our economy; the USA has more than half of all the coal reserves in the world. Those same environmental concerns that block oil development have also led to further restrictions on the mining and use of coal in the US. It seems that no matter how clean the coal is made, it will never satisfy the Obamacrats.
Nuclear energy is another alternative that has few environmental problems. Its development, however, has been stifled by fears as to where to put the radioactive materials that are left in spent fuel. In two years in office, Obama has done nothing to alleviate these concerns so as to allow nuclear energy to be used again in this country.
Obama likes solar and wind energy. We hear over and over about green jobs. Someone’s idea of a good slogan has replaced the reality of our energy needs. The truth is that with current technology there is no way that wind or solar energy can make a significant difference in our energy usage.
So that leaves natural gas. Gas is much less expensive than oil. The US has large domestic reserves of gas that can be extracted using current technology. Natural gas is much cleaner than oil. Right now, the technology for natural gas powered cars is in use in various places around the country. In short, natural gas seems to solve our energy problems. It is domestic, so we can stop sending trillions overseas to pay for oil. It is abundant and inexpensive, so we can replace higher priced oil with lower priced natural gas. It is less polluting than oil. Just making the change from oil to gas reduces pollution by about three quarters. Development of a larger natural gas extraction industry means the addition of hundreds of thousands of additional jobs around the country, and obviously good development. Without a doubt, natural gas is the fuel for the near future of this country.
So why is the government not promoting gas? Where are the initiatives to support a shift to gas? Why are there no tax credits like those for solar or wind energy? It is a mystery. With one exception, each time that President Obama has spoken about energy needs in the country, he has not even mentioned natural gas. This is another of those instances where Obama’s ideology seems to be beating out common sense. At some point, Obama learned that wind and solar energy were the way of the future. His belief in these energy forms is one that he constantly mentions. But a belief in energy sources that cannot satisfy the nations need for energy is not realistic. But Obama does not even talk about the one energy source that truly could make a difference. So instead, Obama lets the US drift towards ever greater importation of foreign oil. We continue to spew the pollutants from that oil which the use of gas could prevent. But we are able to talk about how we are working towards the use of wind and solar at some point in the future.
The real truth is that Obama simply cannot separate himself from his ideology. As a result, the USA suffers as we move through Obama’s ideological fantasies rather than pragmatically moving toward actual solutions that work.
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