According to the CIA's World Factbook Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption. For our purpose lets use T. Boone Pickens' numbers and we actually import 70% at a cost of $700 billion. The Pickens plan would like to reduce our IMPORTED oil consumption not our overall consumption. Reducing our "imported" oil is like saying that drinking from one side of the cup makes a difference from drinking from the other side of a cup. Oil however is an international commodity. Think of oil like water in a bathtub. It really doesn't matter where you take the water from. As long as you take from the tub then money goes to those who put the water in the tub to begin with. It doesn't matter if we buy our own oil or someone else's. It all comes from the same bathtub. Therefore, the $700 billion that we send abroad to rogue or hostile nations still get the same amount of money. They'll just get it from someone else. The only way to keep that kind of money from reaching those countries is if we reduce, not simply our IMPORTED oil, but our consumption, period.
The T. Boone Pickens plan should ask our members of congress to pledge to reduce our overall consumption of oil and NOT just our imported oil. We should help move the world off of an oil based energy platform and onto other form of energy, preferably cleaner local energy. Only curtailing our consumption and developing a comprehensive energy plan, can we halt the huge flight of capital continuing to flow to those countries by others!!
Here's a sample letter that I believe should be sent to your Congressional delegation:Our fight against terrorism, our fight for the environment, our fight against our growing balance of payments deficits and our fight for our health care in this country can all be improved by getting our country off of the debilitating effects of our oil addiction/consumption.
We must get this country, and others, off of oil and stop the unprecedented flight of capital to rogue and hostile nations. This plan must include proven American technology and resources; the development of new energy sources; and the expansion and modernization of the national electrical grid to transport renewable energy to homes and businesses.
Delaying is tantamount to negligent homicide by continuing America's, and the world's, addiction to oil.
I urge you to support any and all plans that can legitimately move this country from an oil based energy economy to one that relies on local, clean technology/energy. This should be the call of a new generation. This should be part of the new president's first 100 days of the new administration.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Zucker"
