Analysis Of The Dangerous Delusions Of Energy Independence Essay
958 Words4 Pages
The United States first began importing oil in the late 1940s. Since then, America has steadily increased the amount of foreign oil and energy used annually. All throughout the United States, Americans hold a variety of opinions as to whether or not America should become energy independent. Robert Bryce, a fellow at the institute for energy research and a managing editor of the Energy Tribune, wrote an essay, “The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence,” where he discusses the unrealistic idea of America becoming completely energy independent and points out the flaws in every attempt to do so. On the other hand, John Deutch, former Deputy Secretary of Defense, and James Schlesinger, former Director of Central Intelligence, chairs of the…show more content… Oil Dependence” states that “4.6 percent of the world’s population [The United States] use[es] 25 percent of the world’s oil (312).” This point creates the foundation for the rest of the essay. The Council of Foreign Relations believes America’s dependence on foreign oil is a serious threat to the national security; therefore, it is a threat to the entire United States. The underlining thought is that America is at the mercy of our suppliers. If we create any sort of conflict with them, they can cut us off, essentially cutting America off at the knees and destroying a major foundation in the American economy. The Council of Foreign Relations finds this situation unacceptable and encourages citizens and government officials to look into serious ways to reduce the amount of energy products consumed. They find total energy independence nearly impossible to achieve within the next 20 years; instead, The Council of Foreign Relations believes America should focus on managing the consequences of the extreme addiction to foreign oil instead of seeking total independence (312). Even though complete energy independence may not be possible, reducing the amount of foreign oil imported will help create a safer, and healthier, environment for the United States. This essay holds a confident and informed tone. While this essay has a more positive and hopeful approach to this situation, “The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence” takes a much more negative