I was disappointed to see so many comments yesterday blaming Putin's aggression in Ukraine on Trump or Biden. These really miss the point. What really is emboldening Mad Vlad is our global dependence on fossil fuel. Although we certainly can become self-sufficient, we and Europe currently rely on Russian oil. Even though we have taken pokes at Russia's economy with the latest set of sanctions, we've steered clear of an actual embargo on oil imports. The one country that has taken the most damaging action is Germany, which has halted a gas pipeline from Russia.
Without a doubt, an embargo on Russian oil would stop Putin. But it would also cripple a public used to cheap oil. Although we've been told that development of alternative sources of energy is a matter of national security, we've ignored the warnings.
Seniors can ride the bus free, something I like to do. In addition, it is relatively easy to cycle to many places in the Lehigh Valley. We need to get away from an oil economy.
32 comments:
No we just have to drill here . Stop acting like we are shooting someone everytime we talk about being energy independent. We have plenty of oil here and if we would have put in the keystone pipeline we would not be having this conversation. But once again ppl think the environment is more important then living day to day. Oh by the way the oil that would be going down the pipeline is still going where it has to go. Just with a bigger impact on the environment and more expensive to the customer's . So when these self righteous ppl look in the mirror thinking they did this amazing thing by help stopping our energy independence can actually look at Ukraine and see what giving a bad person to much power. For every action there is a reaction.
An oil embargo would blow up the global market, prices would skyrocket. This would hurt our European allies and US consumers, at a time when inflation is already pretty painful. And Putin COULD outride an embargo with the billions he has in reserves. His Russian oligarch friends would come to the rescue.
An oil embargo would be the "nuclear option" in this situation, but first we have to ensure it'll do more harm to the enemy than ourselves. Hit them with economic sanctions and block their access to tech. Meanwhile, ramp up US production while exploring alternate energy sources. All of which Biden is doing. Biden plays chess.
-J
Joe could solve the energy problem in about two seconds by appointing Hunter to cut a deal with China to supply us billions of Chinese made solar panels to mount on all the pristine fertile farmland that China already owns via ownership of most American Agribusinesses, no?
There are posts on this blog that I often assume just HAVE to be satire, or written just to evoke the actual facts and solution from readers without the blog owner having to own a viewpoint that conflicts with the democrat party line. This is such a post.
You are correct that oil is the key to solving the Putin problem, but it doesn't take an embargo on Russian oil to do that. I'm not saying not to do an embargo on Russian oil, but without increasing our own domestic oil production to once-again make our country a net exporter (instead of a net importer) we only set ourself up to be held hostage to the next oil-producing country or organization (like Venezuela, OPEC, etc.) that acts against our interests.
Putin has the leverage he has now because Biden foolishly restricted our domestic production of oil, causing oil prices to rise. That's why well before any problems in the Ukraine, we've seen a steady increase in gas prices since Biden took office (to levels not seen since Obama was in office). This foolish restriction on oil U.S oil production (and thus world oil supply) has contributed greatly to inflation, and has boosted the price of many goods and services that are in any way tied to oil prices for their delivery (so pretty much everything).
Russia - and Putin's - power has expanded in the past year because of failed Democrat energy policies that have hurt us economically at home and are now working against our interests (and the Ukranian people) abroad. This is a problem that didn't exist just a few years ago under a Republican administration, and could be quickly corrected by the current administration by reversing the measures they put in place shortly after taking office.
Unfortunately, democrat politicians seem far less interested in trying to improve our lives than in trying to control them, so I expect little change on their part. Luckily, we can send them a clear message in November, at all levels of government.
Yes indeed! You hit the proverbial nail on the head! Curtailing our own oil production development in the face of strong environmental opposition has crippled our national security. Too late now and doubt the USA has the will to pay more for gasoline in the short term if that alone would hamstring Putin. War is hell and rationing works. Time to get serious about the encroachment of a communist madman hell bent on becoming the reincarnation of Stalin and the ruler of the new version of the grand old Russian Empire.
And when China invades Taiwan we can bemoan the fact that we rely on semiconductors instead of vacuum tubes.
Maybe we should focus on being self-sufficient on efficient and practical technologies instead.
So why is joey shutting down pipelines, not renewing leases, and on and on... Stop covering for him already. Germany doesn't even have a fighting army anymore. And then they sell their soles to russia.
The US has little dependency on Russian oil. Biden has made us more dependent on foreign energy. But that can be fixed by throwing him out of office. Pennsylvania is a net energy exporter that helped the US nearly get to the same place just a couple years ago. We have lots of oil and gas. We prefer to exploit other countries for theirs, rather than have to look at yucky unpleasant energy producing things. Same with rare Earth minerals for rechargeable thingys. Let 9-year olds in Brazil dig up that dangerous crap while scarring their countryside. We like iPhones and clean surroundings.
Europe is another story, however. They are heavily reliant on Soviet oil with no hope not to be. Big German money is in bed with Russian oligarchs and they're enjoying $100 per barrel prices. Energy is a global fungible commodity and the US certainly uses a lot. We still export, though. Europe has the dependency problems they cannot solve themselves.
"The US has little dependency on Russian oil. Biden has made us more dependent on foreign energy"
It's true that Biden has stopped a pipeline that would bring us oil from Alaska. It's also true that Trump has stopped measures that would enable us to wean ourselves off oil completely. I'd like to see us explore alternatives that go beyond solar or wind. I'm speaking specifically about nuclear fusion (not fission), which if perfected will be much safer and provide unlimited amounts of energy.
"Germany doesn't even have a fighting army anymore. And then they sell their soles to russia."
When you are completely unable to spell the word "soul," you betray your own basic ignorance. I'm unwilling to rely on this kind of obvious ignorance.
Bernie O'Hare said:
"When you are completely unable to spell the word "soul," you betray your own basic ignorance. I'm unwilling to rely on this kind of obvious ignorance."
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Anon 8:20.
A quick look on the internet and you'll see that the most popular exports from Germany include Birkenstocks and soccer shoes.
So Germany might actually be willing to sell their soles to Russia.
(Sorry, couldn't resist) :)
I’m so weary of hearing folks blame Biden for inflated prices. The President in a capitalist country doesn’t control prices. He may be able to influence changes in the economy in general but he can’t control the price of your Cheerios, beef, or beer. Did you think corporate CEOs would just absorb the cost of raising a $12 dollar-an-hour worker to a $15? I’ve yet to hear of anyone giving up their beach house or golf club membership because of inflation. Why are retailers raising prices? Because they can. Take the retailer to task. How do car dealers justify a $3,000. “dealer charge” on top of the mfg list price? Because they can, not because the President allowed it. And the manufacturers do nothing to curtail it.
I agree it's our dependence on petroleum products. However, our former president coddled Putin, Kim Jong-Un and others like them. He continues to praise Putin. We need to wake up and understand he gives these individuals power. He admires these people because he too wanted to be a dictator. Lock him up now!
J @ 7:10 said:
"Meanwhile, ramp up US production while exploring alternate energy sources. All of which Biden is doing. Biden plays chess."
What planet are you living on?
Biden has cut US production and canceled pipelines and leases that were approved under the previous administration. We've gone from a net energy exporter to a net energy importer since he took office. He's punished those in the fossil fuel industry in pursuit of the democrat's radical green agenda.
These failed democrat policies have led to higher oil prices, including Russian oil, empowering Putin and his expansionist desires.
We've also been quietly importing Iranian oil over the last 8 months. What could go wrong with that?
I'm pretty sure if Biden is looking at a chess board, it's just because he likes the piece that looks like a horsey.
The senior that rides the bus also needs to heat their home with oil. Are you saying the senior should not have oil to heat their home? Due to the hightst inflation in 40yrs they probably don't have money to install a heat pump or the personal stamina to cut fire wood. Typical liberal. Never says then what. We get rid of fossil fuels then what?
Thank you, Biden-another job - well done --Boy do we need Trump back---Bernie will not print this--because this is a fake blog and helped put Biden in office and look what he did to the country in one year.
I never once said that we should eliminate fossil fuels. They are, however, a finite resource. Instead of looking for ways to suck every last drop out of the earth, I think we need to research nuclear fusion as a very viable alternative. Unlike fission, it is safe and would produce unlimited amounts of energy. And it is independent of whether it is sunny or windy on a given day.
Fourth gen nuclear fusion plants are the only hope. Wind and solar are never getting us there. Repeat: never. The problem is a woefully uneducated public who've been trained to think anything labeled "nuclear" or "radiation" is an unqualified evil. Since we seems to educate our young via movies and Instagram, we should develop programs on these media to show them the benefits of fusion. We'll need to educate some old guard environmentalists first.
We are a big country, and we need to continue to suck oil out of "our ground" till eco nuts are silenced by facts. The preaching that solar and wind will take care of our growing energy needs has got to be stopped. And don't believe that taxing the electric companies to fund these sources makes sense. And the silly promises that everyone will get a check from government to offset the dramatic jump in energy costs is pure bull. Fusion is a worthy research area. I am amused by some of my smug "environmentally conscious" friends that have quietly been installing stoves/fireplace inserts to burn pellets, wood and even coal in their homes and decry oil and gas drilling. I hear the earth is "warming", but it still gets damn cold in Pa. Drill baby, baby drill.
At current consumption, the world has at least 50 years of proven (currently known) oil reserves left.
If you factor in probable and possible reserves, that number rises significantly (at least 3 to 4-fold, at estimated future levels of consumption).
Oil production can be ramped up relatively quickly in this and other free nations to bring the price of oil down in the near term. So that's what we need to solve the near-term problem with Putin and other such leaders/nations.
Wind and solar are great in theory but not the current technology is not currently reliable/practical enough to compensate for the world's energy needs if you take out oil. I'm not saying give up on them, but they shouldn't be our primary focus right now.
Absolutely agree with your point about building more nuclear facilities, but they will take much longer to be built and to get online. They should be a significant part of our near, mid and long-term future.
For now, the best course of action is to reverse Biden policies and get back to the energy policies of the previous administration as they pertain to fossil fuels. Then get to work on 1) strengthening/protecting the US grid and 2) building nuclear facilities.
It's not rocket science and it shouldn't be a difficult decision, but the policies of one political party are holding our country back economically while simultaneously causing the type of foreign policy disasters that we are watching in the Ukraine.
They seem unwilling to change, so the process to remove them from power must begin in November.
The whole idea of restricting the use of fossil fuels, without creating a viable alternative, is crazy. You are correct, fossil fuels have to be finite at some point and rather than subsidize windmills and solar panels, we could begin a new Manhattan project to perfect fusion technology.
The whole western world is leaving itself open to political intimidation and economic disaster.
At one time the green people adopted the idea that natural gas was the transition fuel until a real alternative could come on line. Now we have capped wells all over Pennsylvania and gas is out of fashion.
One must wonder if the strategy is to allow Chesapeake and the other risk takers of gas exploration to be bankrupted, then be bought for pennies on the dollar by either big oil or Chinese investors. Probably whoever is the best politically connected.
It seems there are very few thinking people running our country. Lots of parroting of sound bites and political spin. No leadership.
Again, I got to say...Who knew Canada was the U.S. largest importer? Not me. Maple syrup and hockey I thought.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php
@ Bernie 12:21
Fossil fuels have been marketed by the greenies as a "finite resource" since before I was born. In elementary school, our teachers warned us that if we didn't wean off of oil, the world would run out. Since then oil drilling has increased. Oil use has increased. And yet, we still somehow find more black gold... The sky isn't falling.
Fusion is being researched. The race has been on for years to decipher the code. However, we have fission, which has been shown in the states to be able to be done safely. We spend billions on nuclear each year to keep producing energy safely. Look at the knee-jerk reaction of Merkel with moth-balling nuclear plants down in Germany. They committed to solar and wind and the net result was increased imports of Russian oil and natural gas, energy prices tripled and a net increase in Carbon emissions.
Energy will always drive international conflict. When we are energy independent, we will be less impacted by these conflicts and will be able to make decisions with cleaner hands when it comes to people like Putin.
Nuclear fusion is "very viable"? How about pointing out all of those operating nuclear fusion plants. Or, for that matter, an instance where man-made fusion was accomplished.
No Biden did not cause inflation he just came into office and inflation went crazy--it must have been Trump fault. I got a bridge to sell to you people.
@ 10:29
You're clearly on Earth 2, where Fox news and the GOP are exploiting the crisis in Ukraine to do the bidding of big oil.
Back here on Earth 1, Biden just sold the largest lease in US history in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental groups objected and it's now pending in the Courts, and so the administration has halted new lease sales on federal land until the Courts haggle out how the social cost of carbon is calculated. Legally, not much else could have been done.
Biden is actively negotiating a release from global oil reserves, and he's been urging the US and our allies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels since day 1. But that doesn't mean production is down. Domestic oil and gas production are at near all-time highs under Biden.
Climate change is real. But beyond that, Biden recognizes that depending on Russian exports makes our allies, and thus us, weaker. But some half-cocked "drill baby, drill" attitude is not the answer in the long run. Don't fall for the propaganda.
Fusion technology isn't ready fo primetime, and won't be economical within a reasonable timeframe. In the long term it is definitely worthy of investment, but in the shorter term, solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal (which is already being implemented at scale in Scotland) need to be scaled up dramatically.
In 1938 Nuclear fission was just a theory. by the 1950's a viable clean source of energy. It took a clear dedicated focus on a solution,like WW2 to perfect the theory.
Those advocating that windmills and solar panels will power a modern industrial society are just dreamers. Of course many of those also believe that a modern industrial and technology rich society should be eliminated.
Solar and wind are not the answer. Nuclear fission is perfected and ready now. Nuclear fusion can be the energy of the future. But only if society decides that they really want a clean, unlimited and new energy, or do we have to wait until we are in a desperate situation to make a decision.
To be clear, I support ALL forms of energy. Fossil fuel is dirty and of limited supply, but more reliable at this juncture than energy that is weather-dependent. Nuclear fission produces vast amounts of energy, but is dangerous. Contrary to what one reader asserted, nuclear fusion has been achieved several times on a lab scale. The problem is that the amount of energy needed to create fusion exceeds what is produced. Once that problem is solved, there will be no energy crisis. We need to do far more research into this game changer. China is already very close.
People complain about pipelines all the time. However they rarely look any further then the line the are being fed. Do a little digging and look at the maps that are published. There are millions of miles of pipelines across the country.
https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/Documents/NPMS_Pipelines_Map.pdf
https://ritholtz.com/2015/04/map-pipelines/
We need oil now and in the near future. This nonsense of solar and wind is silly. Makes as much sense as me wishing I were 3 inches taller so I would not have to hem my slacks. Fusion is just not as sexy for us and is harder for the shills to make money off our stupidity. So easy to make a living off of solar dreams. Don't believe me, ask Tara Zrinski!
849 - I agree in part. We want our omelet but refuse to break the eggs. We must accept that our existence and current standard of living have environmental consequences, be that within our borders or a 3rd world country. Wait till gas is $5 a gallon and show our true colors. Soccer moms will start clubbing baby seals if it leads to lower prices.
Until we devise a way to maintain base load without fossil fuels, don't plan the funeral just yet.
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