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U.S. NEWS Monday 20 august 2018

U.S. says conserving oil is no longer an economic imperative

Continued from Front time to start eating again,’” strongest producer of oil
said Tom Kloza, longtime oil and gas,” Graham said.
Growth of natural gas analyst with the Maryland- “But there are still reasons
and other alternatives to based Oil Price Informa- to want to reduce the
petroleum has reduced tion Service. “If you look amount we consume.”
the need for imported oil, at it from the other end, if Current administration pro-
which “in turn affects the you do believe that fossil posals include one that
need of the nation to con- fuels do some sort of dam- would freeze mileage stan-
serve energy,” the Energy age to the atmosphere ... dards for cars and light
Department said. It also you come up with a differ- trucks after 2020, instead of
cites the now decade-old ent viewpoint,” Kloza said. continuing to make them
fracking revolution that has “There’s a downside to liv- tougher. The proposal
unlocked U.S. shale oil re- ing large.”Climate change eventually would increase
serves, giving “the United is a “clear and present and U.S. oil consumption by In this April 23, 2018, file photo a car is filled with gasoline at a
States more flexibility than increasing danger,” said 500,000 barrels a day, the station in Windham, N.H.
in the past to use our oil re- Sean Donahue, a lawyer administration says. While Associated Press
sources with less concern.” for the Environmental De- Trump officials say the leased this month showed culate the administration’s
With the memo, the ad- fense Fund. Just 10 years freeze would improve high- senior Environmental Pro- move would actually in-
ministration is formally chal- ago, in summer 2008, oil way safety, documents re- tection Agency staffers cal- crease highway deaths.q
lenging old justifications prices were peaking at
for conservation — even $147 a barrel and pum-
congressionally prescribed meling the global econ-
ones, as with the mile- omy. The Organization of
age standards. The memo the Petroleum Exporting
made no mention of cli- Countries was enjoying a
mate change. Transpor- massive transfer of wealth,
tation is the single largest from countries dependent
source of climate-chang- on imported oil. Prices now
ing emissions. are about $65.
President Donald Trump Today, the U.S. is vying with
has questioned the exis- Russia for the title of top
tence of climate change, world oil producer. U.S. oil
embraced the notion of production hit an all-time
“energy dominance” as a high this summer, aided by
national goal, and called the technological leaps of
for easing what he calls horizontal drilling and hy-
burdensome regulation of draulic fracturing.
oil, gas and coal, includ- How much the U.S. econ-
ing repealing the Obama omy is hooked up to the
Clean Power Plan. gas pump, and vice versa,
Despite the increased oil plays into any number of
supplies, the administration policy considerations, not
continues to believe in the just economic or environ-
need to “use energy wise- mental ones, but military
ly,” the Energy Department and geopolitical ones, said
said, without elaboration. John Graham, a former of-
Department spokesmen ficial in the George W. Bush
did not respond Friday to administration, now dean
questions about that state- of the School of Public and
ment. Environmental Affairs at In-
Reaction was quick. diana University.
“It’s like saying, ‘I’m a big “Our ability to play that role
old fat guy, and food pric- as a leader in the world is
es have dropped — it’s stronger when we are the