It started with Jimmy Carter, the second most inept president in my lifetime. He promised us he would eliminate our dependency on foreign oil. At that time we were importing less than 50% of our oil needs from foreign nations. The Saudis and OPEC created huge price runups and lines. Jimmy, being a scientist, had a multitude of great ideas. The Department of Energy was to lead the charge.
Ronald Reagan made the same commitment. Bush, the first, the same. As an oilman, not a scientist or actor, he had ideas too. Clinton, the lawyer, same deal. George II, the same.
This week, the community organizer, made big promises.
We have spent billions trying to fulfil these promises. Nearly a trillion on the Department of Energy alone. Carter was a solar man. Clinton was a bio fuels guy. We have spent on wind, solar, bio fuels, fusion, shale extraction, etc. Most have equated the promise to putting a man on the moon.
The current president believes we can solve the problem by taxing Americans who are suffering from a recession and high unemployment to reduce demand and put the money in the hands of our government to defy science. Green jobs that produce nothing. Green energy that is too expensive and has to be subsidized.
During this 35 years a succession of presidents have stepped up regulations to limit proven sources of energy. Nuclear energy, stopped. Drilling where there is oil, stopped. Shale extraction, stopped. Ethanol subsidies, billions spent for nothing. Clean coal, stopped.
Meanwhile, France has stepped up nuclear. Canada has created a huge source of revenue and jobs with shale extraction. We are their biggest customer. We have billions of barrels of oil in tar sands and we choose not to do what Canada is doing.
The only thing we have going for us right now is natural gas production through a process where we fracture shale with chemicals and high pressure water. We are doing this in the lower 48 and huge new deposits have been found. Hence, the price of natural gas has gone down. We can use this natural gas for power development, transportation fuel, and to heat and cool our homes. Yet, there are environmental protests and the government is looking at stopping or regulating this option. Obama has never once mentioned this salvation. Natural gas is clean and emits no carbon. Why isn’t he touting this positive? Because his agenda is cap and trade.
We can do everything planned and we will still be 6 million barrels of oil equivalent short in 2015. The Chinese are busy locking up every barrel of oil they can get all over the world.
We, on the other hand, are relying on Washington for answers.
Just think about this. Washington runs Freddie and Fannie. They were delisted on the Stock Exchange this week. The stock value of these two companies is just over a million dollars. Just a few years ago that was over a billion dollars.
Do you really trust Washington to manage our energy future?
Five presidents over 35 years have failed miserably. Of the five, I give this one the smallest chance to succeed.