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Memo to Snyder: Don’t stop the radical reforms now!Energy dependence: A completely unnecessary national security risk
March 27th, 2011 | 
Author: 
Herman Cain
In the early 1970s, America’s dependence on foreign oil was a little over 20 percent. Today, our dependence on foreign oil is over 65 percent. We have become more and more energy dependent because we have never had a serious energy independence strategy, and we still do not have one.
Energy independence is within our grasp because we have plenty of energy natural resources. We have billions of barrels of oil, plenty of natural gas reserves, more coal than any other country in the world, lots of places we could build dams for hydroelectricity and some of the safest nuclear power technology in the world.
Wind and solar energy development is not going to get us to energy independence. Studies such as the Department of Energy’s “Billion Ton Study” have shown that those two sources could at best provide 5 percent of our energy needs combined.
But by maximizing all of our other domestic energy resources, we could become energy-independent. This would not only help to keep down the cost of gasoline and the cost of nearly everything we buy, but it would also be a boost to our economy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. But most importantly, energy independence would keep us from being vulnerable to the current instability in the Middle East or the whims of OPEC.
But to become energy-independent, we would have to reject the false premise that America’s high energy consumption is at odds with conservation, or that we will cause irreversible harm to our planet. To say that we will cause irreversible harm to the planet by using our natural resources responsibly is like saying that man never should have discovered fire in the first place.
Natural resources are there for a reason. Use them! That’s why they are natural! The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), oil reserves off our own continental coasts, oil shale areas out west and even nuclear power development can create a path to energy independence.
The area proposed for production in ANWR for example comprises only 0.08 percent of the 19 million acres of the refuge, and it is estimated to contain at least 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Allowing drilling there would not be an environmental hazard using today’s technology. And, if any caribou got lost near that less than two-acre carve-out of ANWR I seriously doubt that they would even notice or care.
And yes, accidents do happen in these various sectors of our energy economy. We usually learn from them to help minimize future accidents. That’s common sense. But we do not need to go overboard with excessive regulations after an unfortunate accident to make the approval processes even slower.
Exploration and production of natural gas from shale oil deposits represent another huge, untapped opportunity. The technology to safely extract natural gas from our enormous oil shale reserves has never been better. But here again, the environmentalists always scream that it’s the end of the world, and then some gutless elected officials kowtow to their wishes for more regulations.
So why are we not on a path to energy independence? It’s simply because of too many regulations that slow down the process and discourage businesses to invest. Illogical moratoriums, excessive federal regulations and environmental extremists who influence weak legislators are holding America hostage to foreign oil.
A revitalized and responsibly unleashed energy sector could be a significant economic stimulus to our economy right here at home.
Working families can’t afford to spend more of their discretionary income on gasoline and energy costs, especially in a stalled economy.
America can’t afford to continue spending billions of dollars to buy something that we can produce right here at home if we stop sitting on it. We must stop making other countries rich at our expense.
It’s not just economic. It is common sense and a matter of national security.
Posted in Herman Cain
23 Responses to “Energy dependence: A completely unnecessary national security risk”
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Run, Mr. Cain, Run!
(Please)
You’re preaching to the choir Mr. Cain. Win and tell the people.
Common sense is in extremely short supply these days, and is a pleasure to read. Thanks Mr. Cain!
MY HERO!!!
This guy gets it. He’s educated on the issues that are important to the economic stability of our Great Nation!! This resinates with those of us that are looking for strong minded, dedicated and ethical leadership.
Wow! ANWR has an estimated 16 billion barrels of oil?!? That sounds like a lot. Let’s see… the US consumes about 20 million barrels a day, so ANWR would provide about 800 days of oil. Awesome! We won’t have to worry about oil again until… July of 2013! That’s so far away!! Talk about independence!!! This guy is a GENIUS!!!!!!
Mr. Cain wasn’t doing too bad in this essay, until
he got to the point where he stated the following:
So why are we not on a path to energy independence? It’s simply because of too many regulations that slow down the process and discourage businesses to invest. Illogical moratoriums, excessive federal regulations and environmental extremists who influence weak legislators are holding America hostage to foreign oil.
================
Nice way to leave out a huge chunk of the reason the U.S. is in the situation it is in – the oil companies. They are just as culpable (if not moreso) of “holding America hostage to foreign” oil as are any of the other entities Cain cited. But in true rightwing politician form, he doesn’t want to alienate a possible huge source of campaign funding, so he gives them a free pass.
Let’s once again de-bunk two never-challenged LIES that GOPers like Cain continue to perpetrate:
1. Every single energy/oil expert worth his/her credibility has acknowledged that U.S. supplies of oil would only provide – AT MOST – upwards of 7% of the total U.S. consumption needs.
2. Oil companies are multi-national entities that sell their product on the global spot-markets. Alaska oil is ALREADY being sold to OTHER countries in lieu of the U.S. How would Mr. Cain propose that would change, were more oil to be drilled domestically? Short of nationalizing the oil companies (which goes absolutely against free-market economic principles that conservatives espouse), there is absolutely NOTHING to guarantee the oil companies drilling in the U.S. from selling their product to other countries instead of the U.S.
Sure would be nice if even ONE so-called “conservative” candidate/politician/leader/mouthpiece would actually address these two ROOT CAUSES of the issue. Instead, like all the rest, Mr. Cain disingenuously (or perhaps ignorantly – not sure which is more scary) avoids them altogether. Which makes his analysis of solutions to the real problem woefully inadequate.
How ’bout pledging not to take a dime in campaign contributions from big oil, Mr. Cain? That would be a start in your establishing credibility on this issue. But you won’t do it.
Put all of the liberal/eco. people in the back room and let them work on solar/wind energy. Tell them they can come out when they have developed a windmill driven car the will go 0-60 in 6 seconds. The rest of us will start work on developing our vast oil, natural gas and coal resources to produce real, sustainable energy. I also believe that Herman needs to announce now! In being first, all the attention will be on him. He will be in demand on the various shows if only for the curiosity factor. You only need to hear Herman for him to grab your attention. Our country needs him!
Lance:
- Thanks for only taking into consideration what he said about ANWR production. It would seem that if ANWR was our only source of oil production, you would be right, however, your opinion is very short sighted as their are bushels of oil plays all over the US. Thank you for being a smart-aleck… Its very productive. Please keep contributing all of YOUR fantastic solutions to help ourselves out of this mess.
Elect Ron Paul in 2012:
- Thanks for letting me know ahead of time what your political train of thought is and that you are one of the “masses” who has now idea how the market or industry actually conducts itself.
The oil companies are doing nothing but developing our own resources with two exceptions:
1 – engaging in international plays for foreign oil, of which it would not make economical sense for us to take the production in kind back to the US, so we just get our cut of revenue.
2- the foreign countries that are starting to invest in US domestic plays are in the same boat, meaning they get revenue, not actual production.
Also, I would like to make 2 more points on this note:
1 – It would be hypocritical for us to develop internationally but not allow other countries to develop in the US
2 – We could play that card within a comprehensive energy policy which is something that we are coming closer and closer to absolutely and desperately needing.
1. Thanks for commenting and going into great and credible detail as to your sources. That is wrong. Our country could sustain itself for a period of time, but the question is sustainability/longevity and do we actually want to consume ALL of our recoverable oil for the time being? Probably not. I fear that we will never truly be “energy dependent”.
2. Yah, we live in a global free-market for commodity trading. So? Are we the only country that sells energy commodities to other countries? No. And no, we wouldnt need to nationalize our oil companies to achieve domestic independence, although we would be taking steps in that direction, such as limiting our market on the sales end.
I really like your speculation about his campaign funding. Key word: speculating. You dont even know that he’s getting funding from energy companies. Needless to say, I am sure he will if he stands by this policy, even though an energy policy would be both limiting and liberating for oil/gas companies…I dont think you see the downside for the O/G industry…
And guess what? Campaigns cost money. If people like what you say, they’ll contribute. At least he didnt set up a website fund and ask the general public to donate millions of dollars (coughing *Obama*)
My speculation for this rant: I bet you’re one of those 100s of millions of jackals in this country that thinks oil and gas companies set the prices of oil, natural gas, gasoline, and electricity… O/G has about as much indirect control as “America: the end consumer” and speculative money-grabbers in the stock market. The O/G industry are price-takers, not price-makers.
Energy is and will forever be the most important topic/concern/industry as it is the single most critical component to the way we live our lives. It affects EVERYTHING, and its foolish that we don’t have a “plan” for it. Thank you for your time.
I am in awe of how the American people can so easily declare one man’s essay to be a reason for that person to be a President.
If I wrote that, would you vote for me? Of course not. I am not on the government’s payroll. I am not ambitious to solve problems that are tangled like worn out shoelaces. All I know is that the greedy seek power and that power is often misused and/or wasted while we, the working men and women suffer along with their children their elderly relatives while government folks live the good life. They are not homeless nor are they hungry with no decent schools and churches nearby to sustain education and the right to worship. Dam your rules and regulations: LET US GET BACK TO THE BASIC RULES OF OUR NATION’S CONSTITUTION AND THE AMENDMENTS THE BILL OF RIGHTS!! Global society and economics??? Kruschkev told JFK “We will bury you!” at the televised UN. conference. They did as he said and now we are being buried alive under the sea of bureacracy and misinformation. Who or what do we believe in or even trust any more?The truth should set us free but we are not aware of the lies and deceitful situations in our federal government. I am only a fully aware and informed voter. So, inform me; don’t mislead me. Or I will not vote any more; it is all a scam in my opinion now. Thank you!
I think Lance brought up a great point and I’m not even a liberal. Heck, Lance’s point assumes that the United States is the only consumer of that oil. Unless the United States government takes over oil drilling and refinement (which won’t happen) any oil drilled at ANWR is just going to be part of the global market. On top of that most of our oil does *not* come from the Middle East. Of the top ten countries we receive our oil from only three of them are in the Middle East. I think the bigger problem is buying our oil from OPEC countries!
The argument for expanded drilling works only if one assumes all oil drilled off our coasts are for the benefit of Americans. That’s simply not going to happen. Any oil drilled by oil companies off our coasts and other areas are going to be sold to other growing countries like India and China. There isn’t going to be a hometown discount.
Are we really banging the oil shale drum again? It’s far too expensive to go that route and with the current desire by many for government to cut spending we can’t at the same time expect government to invest in mining and extraction.
Why were my comments not published yet?
I particularly like Mr. Cain’s comment, “Natural resources are there for a reason. Use them!” Isn’t that the same line Eve used on Adam in the garden…about the apple? I think that is a quote from Genesis.
This man is a complete idiot. He simply has no concept of the cost of using natural resources which is the environmental impact. Try pouring a couple gallons of gasoline or oil on your lawn and tell me there is no impact. Better yet burn some coal in your living room fireplace and suck it in! How is that “no impact” thing working for you?
I think Lance is like a dinosaur. He is waving his itty bitty arms and screaming. Dave is a thinker.
Herman Cain has real communication skills that most of us Americans need….common sense solutions.
Mr. Cain,
So wonderful to see how proactive you are! Love your policies. You must run for President!
Coal liquefaction via Fischer-Tropsch conversion could replace most of our need for oil, domestic and imported. We use about the same amount of BTU in coal to create electricity as we do BTU from oil to power our surface vehicles. Thorium based nuclear power has been around since the late 60′s but since you can’t make a bomb out of Thorium it was not pursued in order to get more Plutonium from Uranium based fast breeder fission reactors. The Cold War is over, we have plenty of weapons. Lets use a percentage of our defense budget to finance energy independence. FYI Thorium can be extracted from……COAL..specifically the ash left over from burning it. There are millions of tons of ash buried in landfills already. The energy content of the Thorium contained within coal as a trace element is about 13 times the energy of the hydrocarbons that make up the majority of the coal.
For the Greenies, Thorium based electrical generation supplemented by alternate energy and Natural Gas would allow us to cut greenhouse emissions in half if we are able to cut out the oil based fuels to a large extent. Thorium reactors are passively safe. Search for LFTR reactor on the web. We could then primarily use crude oil as a raw material rather than burning it, to roughly paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke …
CLT: I don’t understand your remarks regarding the cost of using these natural resources. You accurately point out that they are toxic to plant life and humans if breathed. But it’s just as toxic to continuously breath in wood smoke. You’ve described how to dangerously misuse resources in order to show that they’re bad, but I think what you’ve actually shown is that it’s bad to dangerously misuse resources. Isn’t it great that we can turn it into electricity which doesn’t give us emphysema, instead of having to burn it directly like people without electric companies do. Yay electric companies!
Also, I must disagree with your judgment of Eve’s decision. The parallels to what Mr. Cain has said are similar, you’re right. But given the choice between having “knowledge of what is good and what is bad” and not having it … I say Eve is a hero. Ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s a slow death, unless you think god is going to save you from your inability to feed, clothe or shelter yourself. I don’t recommend the experiment tho; I hear god doesn’t like people who test him.
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