Dig down and gas up

Dig down and gas up. Sounds like what we are all talking about these days as gas prices have reached the four bucks a gallon average. To “gas up” our trucks, SUVs and autos, we have to dig down deeply in our pockets to pay at the pump. A quick look back shows that gas prices have jumped 40 percent in the past six months. And it is taking a terrible toll on our national economy, not to mention our individual family budgets.

Most of us have a favorite target to blame for the prices, such as the major oil companies, OPEC countries, etc. While these oil companies and oil-producing nations might share some of the blame, I have my own targets to blame. First, as you drive around each day, look at the abusive manner in which far too many drive – excessive speeds and jack-rabbit starts. These driving habits result in significantly decreased mileage per gallon and contribute to the demand we place on this valuable commodity we call oil. And it is universally accepted that supply and demand are a significant reason for the price of oil.

My second target for blame is those folks we elect and send to Washington, D.C. These senators and representatives are there, supposedly, to represent us. But are they? For too many decades now, we have been painfully aware of having to depend on foreign oil to fuel our cars, our homes and our factories. And more importantly to provide for our national security.

Oh yes, these elected officials talk about it – they do some political posturing – but in the end, they have simply shut down an ample supply of energy right here at home. There is an estimated 10 billion barrels of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska. While only a handful of Americans will ever actually visit this small tract, to many of our elected officials, it is vital to maintain the “pristine conditions” of these few acres necessary for the drilling. Insane.

There is an estimated 80-plus billion barrels of oil under the seas where developers would like to drill some 50 miles off our shore. Again, our Congress says no. In fairness here, there is a small percentage of the Outer Continental Shelf where drilling is permitted, but it is just that, a small percentage. And, oh yes, there is also an estimated 420 trillion (with a “T”) cubic feet of natural gas out there.

In an earlier blog, I wrote of the Air Force’s testing and flying aircraft with synthetic fuels. So as a reminder, engineers have developed a procedure to refine solid shale rock into diesel or gasoline. In several of our western states, there are estimates of a 200-year supply of our nation’s demand for oil at our current usage rate. But Congress says no to “mining” this treasure on federal land. Insane.

Now, you may ask, 'Why is a military guy writing about our dependence on foreign oil for our security, our economy and our way of life?' Simple. National security trumps all other concerns. Think for a moment of some of the major oil-producing nations like those in the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela. Should these countries choose to do so, they could effectively shut down our economy and significantly impact our armed forces so dependent on petroleum products for their operations. Airplanes and tanks don’t mean much without petrol.

It is time to get really serious about drilling and mining our own natural resources. Because if we started today to drill, mine and build refineries – not to mention developing more nuclear plants – it would still take a decade to get a greater degree of energy independence. If we don’t get a handle on this politically charged policy soon, those “No War for Oil” bumper stickers some day may read “War for Oil.”

It is that serious folks!