Sure, There's a Risk

In the last article I offered “A Simple Solution for a Convoluted Leadership” (See Archives) This solution simultaneously addresses a multitude of problems that threaten the survival of our nation. As I stated, “Our nation MUST become energy independent. The reader might ask where all of this energy is located since we have relied upon foreign sources for decades. I would answer that question with a question, “Why?” Why have we unnecessarily relied on the whims of foreign nations to supply the life-blood to our economy? So where can we find all of this energy? The following are but a few of our choices, all of which should be used and used for American interests:

1. Development of the Marcellus shale deposits in the Appalachian Basin. There is no solid evidence to support the notion that the fracking of this shale to remove the large volume of natural gas that it holds is of significant risk to the environment. It is estimated that this reserve holds more than 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Current technology can be used to recover 50 trillion cubic feet of this resource but with improved technology this amount can be significantly increased.

2. Drilling for oil in ANWR in Alaska. ANWAR holds vast amounts of much needed oil for our economy. Studies of the ANWR coastal plain indicate it may contain between 6 and 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil (between 11.6 and 31.5 billion barrels in-place). With enhanced recovery technology, ANWR oil could provide an additional 30 to 50 years of reliable supply. Natural gas, produced with the oil, could be reinjected or added to a new gas pipeline originating in Prudhoe Bay. Consider the risks that thousands of supertankers, mostly singled hulled, transporting millions of barrels of oil per day and compare that to the environmental risks of Alaskan oil development. Foreign oil is produced and shipped under less strict environmental standards than domestic oil. Alaska's oil fields are the cleanest in the world, second to none. And, it’s in America.

When the Alaskan pipeline was first proposed, the naysayers bemoaned the threat to the Central Alaska caribou herd. At that time this herd had a little over 6000 animals. After the building of the pipeline, it has grown to over 27,000. Either the pipeline had no effect on the caribou or it acted as an aphrodisiac. It is absurd to be continually paralyzed by an unlikely possibility.

3. Development of the shale oil in the Green River Basin. The Green River Formation covers portions of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Estimates of the oil resource in place within the Green River Formation range from 1.2 to 1.8 trillion barrels. Not all resources in place are recoverable; however, even a moderate estimate of 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from oil shale in the Green River Formation is three times greater than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. Present U.S. demand for petroleum products is about 20 million barrels per day. If oil shale could be used to meet a quarter of that demand, the estimated 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from the Green River Formation would last for more than 400 years.

The greatest threat to the development of this American resource is a potential risk to wildlife, similar to the concerns over Alaskan caribou populations. No one loves wildlife and beautiful scenery more than I do. I even like the spotted owl that became the center of a great controversy beginning in the early 1970s. Thousands of acres of forest were taken off line for timber to protect this “endangered” species. Hundreds if not thousands of people lost there jobs and the cost of lumber products increased significantly. It was a known “fact” that the spotted owl could only nest in old growth forest. However, recent evidence has shown that these owls do not need old growth forest for nesting. They do not need protected from loggers. Unfortunately, spotted owl numbers continue to decline thanks, not to the lumber industry, but to the barred owl that is invading their territory.

I also like the mule deer that inhabit the Green River region. But if it comes down to the survival of a mule deer or one of my grandchildren I will opt in favor of my grandchild every time. But I think I have given a false moral equivalence. With proper and reasonable regulations, we can have our oil and natural gas and our mule deer too.

4. Drilling off the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts. Again, there is a risk of a major oil spill. That risk, though, is of a lesser threat than the destruction of a supertanker at sea. With the practice of safe oil drilling procedures and the development of improved clean- up products and strategies, the benefits of this production far outweigh the risks. It is hypocritical for U.S. regulators and bureaucracies to forbid U.S. companies from drilling off the coasts, especially the Gulf Coast, in one action and to simultaneous give permits to companies like Petrobras to not only drill but to use unproven storage tanks on the other.

Our national and state leaders continue to procrastinate and pontificate on this monumental issue. As the ‘common folk,’ we are told by some of these leaders that we need to “get some skin in the game.” We are told we should sacrifice for the good of all. I am tired of being told to sacrifice by people who take my sacrifice to fuel their private jets, fuel their limousines, heat and cool their homes, and pay for their vacations to warm places in the winter and cooler places in the summer. It doesn’t matter to me whether you are a Republican or Democrat, a liberal or a conservative, a libertarian or a Druid, if you truly care about this country and its future, you will count the cost and move TODAY to bring this country to energy independence.

In the next article, “Sure There’s a Risk” part II, I will continue to look at sources of energy readily available within the boundaries of the United States. I will also address some of the ways our government can encourage our move toward energy independence.