Why The US Will Never Be 'Energy Independent'

NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, the top export of the United States, the world's biggest gas guzzler, is — wait for it — fuel.

Measured in dollars, the nation is on pace this year to ship more gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel than any other single export, according to U.S. Census data going back to 1990. It will also be the first year in more than 60 that America has been a net exporter of these fuels.

Just how big of a shift is this? A decade ago, fuel wasn't even among the top 25 exports. And for the last five years, America's top export was aircraft.

The trend is significant because for decades the U.S. has relied on huge imports of fuel from Europe in order to meet demand. It only reinforced the image of America as an energy hog. And up until a few years ago, whenever gasoline prices climbed, there were complaints in Congress that U.S. refiners were not growing quickly enough to satisfy domestic demand; that controversy would appear to be over.

Still, the U.S. is nowhere close to energy independence. America is still the world's largest importer of crude oil. From January to October, the country imported 2.7 billion barrels of oil worth roughly $280 billion.

Fuel exports, worth an estimated $88 billion in 2011, have surged for two reasons:

— Crude oil, the raw material from which gasoline and other refined products are made, is a lot more expensive. Oil prices averaged $95 a barrel in 2011, while gasoline averaged $3.52 a gallon — a record. A decade ago oil averaged $26 a barrel, while gasoline averaged $1.44 a gallon.

— The volume of fuel exports is rising. The U.S. is using less fuel because of a weak economy and more efficient cars and trucks. That allows refiners to sell more fuel to rapidly growing economies in Latin America, for example. In 2011, U.S. refiners exported 117 million gallons per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products, up from 40 million gallons per day a decade earlier.

Electric cars, going green it's all feel good propaganda for the people to think the government is doing something to help the world. The dark true side is that it's all about money - going green is about them going green with greed and collecting all kinds of green money.

reply to post by mileslong54


Hows a renewable source of energy propaganda? lol....

reply to post by mileslong54


and its time to just put the truth out there. The U.S. and its allies might be criminals, but their way of life is still far superior to anything else the worlds governments have to offer us. Heres another newsflash for you - Irans oil, it belongs to us. The worlds oil belongs to us. We are still, whether you punks want to believe it or not, the strongest nation on the Earth and nobody, not big bad China and its ally to the north, have any capability to successfully defeat the U.S. and its NATO allies. Now you combine our economic crisis with Irans decades old atrocious violation of Human rights and you have yourself every reason to steal their oil. Go ahead and rule your country with fascism, well topple it when we need to.

The U.S. is the only country in the world with an adequate NAVY capable of launching massive insurgency wars far from its homeland and then sustaining that war. China has a big infantry, very cool stuff, they can disable our satellites (maybe) with some lasers, and they have nuclear weapons. Very cool stuff. Im not scared. We have aircraft carriers and things that we can actually use in an offensive war. Now that this is settled and we all know the truth, society can continue and I can tivo the next episode of the Kardashians. Peace to all of you. Moi!

Originally posted by theBigToe
reply to post by mileslong54

 

and its time to just put the truth out there. The U.S. and its allies might be criminals, but their way of life is still far superior to anything else the worlds governments have to offer us. Heres another newsflash for you - Irans oil, it belongs to us. The worlds oil belongs to us. We are still, whether you punks want to believe it or not, the strongest nation on the Earth and nobody, not big bad China and its ally to the north, have any capability to successfully defeat the U.S. and its NATO allies. Now you combine our economic crisis with Irans decades old atrocious violation of Human rights and you have yourself every reason to steal their oil. Go ahead and rule your country with fascism, well topple it when we need to.

The U.S. is the only country in the world with an adequate NAVY capable of launching massive insurgency wars far from its homeland and then sustaining that war. China has a big infantry, very cool stuff, they can disable our satellites (maybe) with some lasers, and they have nuclear weapons. Very cool stuff. Im not scared. We have aircraft carriers and things that we can actually use in an offensive war. Now that this is settled and we all know the truth, society can continue and I can tivo the next episode of the Kardashians. Peace to all of you. Moi!

and that is exactly why a lot of people hate Americans.

reply to post by nikkibee


Yep, dont really care. Fascist theocratics and Commis. Enjoy that society. The U.S. is entitled to Irans oil. Dont like it? Build a big military and do something yourself. Otherwise, face facts.

Eliminate greed and you eliminate a lot of problems

Originally posted by theBigToe
reply to post by mileslong54

 

Hows a renewable source of energy propaganda? lol....

Did you get the part about the US being the biggest gas guzzler? It's the way they're using this go green crap to tax companies that pollute, but the companies can get out of it by paying more money - like carbon credits - a company just has to spend money to buy carbon credits to put out one tonne of carbon dioxide.

A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide.[1][2][3]

In short is about money not about saving the enviroment

reply to post by nikkibee


Im trolling because I could care less about Iran? Ohhhh you are so Humane!!! The Almighty! You just LOOOOOVE freedom and Human rights, dont you? Im sure thats why you defend Irans right to exist. Hah. You are brainwashed by "Muslim propaganda". Im actually going to give it a name. Im calling it MIONISM! Youre a minonist!

Click here for more information.

reply to post by nikkibee


Been listening to the anti-American rhetoric for a decade. Im done with it.

reply to post by nikkibee


I dont commit Human rights violations and when you live in America and you do harm to a person or a persons property you should be dragged to prison for it. Societies dont exist and thrive without doing whats in their interest to survive. Thats the reality of the world. And the USA and the world that it has created is worth fighting and dying for, regardless of whatever bill thats been passed through Congress that you want to throw at me. I dont care anymore. I could care less about a countries government that hangs homosexuals, stones adulterers to death, makes no secret of its desire to commit genocide on the Jews and mass groups of people like infidels, people like you, and who executes drug offenders by the thousands. I dont care anymore. I dont care we need their oil and will steal it to continue our way of life. I really dont. And if you do then move to Iran and enjoy living under Sharia.

reply to post by theBigToe


if its anti American to criticize your foreign policies then i am anti- Israeli, Iranian, Chinese ect.

reply to post by nikkibee


Dont really follow that. I support secularism. And in this day and age when you have to pick one side or the other to stand with - I choose REAL freedom. Not some made up phony version of it that you anti-American nutters seem to think of.

reply to post by theBigToe


It may not be propaganda as such, but it is a placebo, government and more importantly don't want alternative energy, if its cheap then they can't screw us all into the ground for it.

They will talk about research, development, and in the end will say it is not cost effective, give us a break, how is wind (free) power not effective? How is Solar (free) not cost effective? It is not cost effective because they cant screw you over monthly for energy bills if it all comes to you free

The energy market is worth trillions of $$$ and you wont break that monopoly easily

reply to post by theBigToe


and all the people who die when you invade their countries, i suppose they're all terrorists and Muslim extremists? i suppose they're lives are worth so little, you can kill them by the thousands just to support your unsustainable way of life. your right who needs a bunch of useless Arabs when there's thousands of hungry Americans who need a pizza delivered!

reply to post by PrinceDreamer


The U.S. wants to invent new ways of harnessing renewable sources of energy because that means its going to get very rich off of that kind of technology.

reply to post by theBigToe


so real freedom is?.......when you can kill anyone and steal anything in another country without fear of reprisal. no thanks ill take my version of freedom, aka when i can do what i want as long as no one is being needlsly killed

reply to post by nikkibee


Were all insignificant. Sounds terrible, but were just a bunch of stupid atoms fused together with energy. People die. Its reality. People will die today, people will die tomorrow. I would rather they die (when we try our best to minimize civilian casualties) then billions of our people dying at the hands of barbarians. Theyre going to die over there anyways when their own governments find out who theyre sleeping with or what religion they worship. Best to make the most out of life and do what you can to better peoples lives. You cant better these peoples lives so long as they keep being forced to live under the tyranny of Shariah. You cant give education to people like this. The worlds needs an education. Our species needs to get off this rock or its just going to keep building bombs to blow each other up like weve been doing. I really dont care anymore about innocents that might die from a war. Wars not going to never happen again just because the U.S. doesnt want to go to war in Iran. When Iran, decades from now, develops what it needs to take aggressive action - it will.

reply to post by nikkibee


This generation of humans have never had to fight for freedom. You have forgotten how great it is to criticize your stupid and criminal government without the fear of them executing you for it. You have forgotten a lot of your freedoms and I dont have the time to list everything about our society that makes Iran look like a trash can out of the 16th century.