John McCain, and all his Republican cohorts, would have us believe that drilling new oil wells is the only way to solve the problem of outrageously high gasoline prices, even if it ruins our shorelines and national wildernesses. Of course their solution, even if it were feasible, would take five to ten years to have any effect -- that's how long any would take to get any of the newly drilled oil to market.
But they don't tell us that part. They just want us to understand that we cannot solve our energy problems, unless we allow Big Oil to pile new profits on top of already record-breaking windfall profits.After all, the Republicans sold out to the oil interests decades ago.
So you can imagine how outraged they were when Barack Obama told Americans that inflating their tires correctly and having regular tune-ups could save as much oil as off-shore drilling would produce. They couldn't contain their derisive laughter. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity ridiculed Obama on their shows, and the Republican National Committee sent tire guages to Washington reporters labeled "Barack Obama's Energy Plan".
They were having so much fun ridiculing Obama that they ignored one small fact -- he was absolutely right! The Bush administration says new off-shore drilling could increase our oil production years from now by 200,000 barrels a day. That's 1% of our daily usage (20 million barrels).
But efficiency experts say that if Americans would just inflate their tires correctly, they would save 3% (600,000 barrels a day), and regular engine maintenance would save another 4% (800,000 barrels a day). So while the new drilling the Republicans want might produce an additional 200,000 barrels a day, Obama's conservation suggestion would definitely save 1,400,000 barrels a day. Sounds like the joke is on the Republicans.
But Republicans have never been much interested in the truth, because the truth exposes the weakness of their programs. It's much better for them if they can get Americans to believe in a false perception.
Isn't it time to vote them out of office?
Actually, the 800,000 barrels is for both inflate tires and regular engine maintenance, i.e., you took a cumulative sum and added it to one of its component parts. Still, that's 4 times more oil than the Bush Administration sez we could get from offshore. So yeah, Obama was right about that, but remember, truth doesn't matter in politics today, only how much you can lie and spin. Sigh.
ReplyDelete- Badtux the Disgusted Penguin
Thanks for the correction BT.
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