From the article: Middle East Oil Reserves By Country and Rank
Energy independence sounds good, especially from foreign oil, but is there such a thing in a world economy dominated by globalism? Even if the United States, which imports some 60 percent of its oil, were to be "energy independent," it would not be immune from market fluctuations affecting energy prices from oil to natural gas to coal. It's even credible to argue that energy dependence encourages political and diplomatic engagement without which the world might be less well off. It's not just about domestic politics or oil prices. So is energy independence more about posturing than possibilities?
US energy independence
- Yes, we can have energy independence if we first add coal and nuclear energy to the equation. Our oil reserves are depleting and we will never be able to satisfy the domestic demand, but we should still drill for both oil and gas reserves. Natural gas will be a big help, but cannot replace oil as transportation fuel. During a transition period from fossil fuel to other energy forms we must use oil, gas, coal and nuclear until alternate energy forms can supplement and eventually replace them - it will be far into the future. As a geologist I have real doubts as to the effects man has on climate change - the Earth has undergone a number of catastrophic changes over its life of 4 billion years - they will continue. Man can not stop or alter these natural occurences - volcanoes, meteors, earthquakes, ocean currents, sunspots or solar radiation. Nor can he change the Earth's orbit around the sun, nor alter the Earth's axis of declination or the Earh's wobble on that axis.
- —Guest Howard R. Lowe