POSTED BY: KLM (June 29, 2008 06:21 AM)
Of course, after all this has been done, even assuming that all the extraction was done with no oil spills wrecking havoc on the coastlines, we are still left with vehicles sucking up a nonrenewable fuel. The key to solving our fuel issues long-term is using less of the stuff and shifting to less polluting, more easily produced fuels.

POSTED BY: Nomen (June 30, 2008 08:34 AM)
No cabal? Why are the oils companies so happy with the current higher price of oil and their record profits? Why are they getting all these tax breaks to develop new methods and explore for oil at the same time so many areas are declared off limits. Why am I reading that CURRENT refining capacity is being scaled back to keep refining profits higher? Why have the auto companies been promoting pickups and SUVs for the past 20 years and vigorously resisting the raising of fuel mileage standards? Why hasn't our government done its job of regulating commerce and stepped in on the side of the public? Most of our economic problems can be traced back to a small group of business and government leaders. To now blame the public for believing what they where led to believe is ridiculous. Perhaps you don't know a cabal when you see one.

POSTED BY: Vic Maurer (June 30, 2008 09:01 AM)
It is disappointing that a publication that is so adept at challenging readers to think long-term would promote such a short-term and incomplete solution to our nation's energy crisis. While I will concede that it is important to consider all sides of the argument, the case for oil holds a poor value proposition. The opportunity cost of oil is simply too high when considering what we are back-burnering - sustainable energy, improved infrastructure to reduce that will reduce energy consumption and congestion, and the preservation of our environment to ensure our children will enjoy the same American landscape that we presently do.

POSTED BY: JR (June 30, 2008 10:43 AM)
KLM is absolutely right. As someone who grew up in the West Texas oilfields, I'd suggest that anyone who thinks demolishing the land to get this oil should actually live in those areas while it is being drilled. It ain't pretty -- or healthy.

POSTED BY: Victor (June 30, 2008 11:25 AM)
For decades the Democrats and the environmentalist extremists have blocked all forms of domestic energy production which continues to push billions of dollars every week into countries that hate us and support terrorists.

POSTED BY: Sorney (June 30, 2008 01:00 PM)
Liberals/Environmentalists are the reason why we are not able to tap into our own resources. Do not blame Bush for high gas prices. Americans are being very selfish to complain about gas prices when we are sitting on the worlds largest resources for oil. We need to stop complaining about what OPEC is charging us for oil and start producing our own oil. As for Big oil Executives, they make 8 percent profits compared to 20 percent like many other large company's. You want cheap oil? DRILL NOW. STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT HIGH OIL COSTS IF YOU WONT LET USA DRILL HERE! BLAME THE DEMS NOT REPUBLICANS.

POSTED BY: Ferdmerkel (June 30, 2008 04:21 PM)
The government should only do what it was created to do. Defend our borders, punish evil doers, protect our liberty and freedom, coin money and nothing else. There should be NO gonvernment owned land outside of Washington DC and the land upon which state and minicipal offices set and military bases, but even some of those could be private land. Let the market determine prices and supply. When the oil is gone, we can walk or use someting else.

POSTED BY: John (June 30, 2008 04:54 PM)
For decades the Republicans and the corporate greed extremists have blocked all forms of renewable energy production which continues to push billions of dollars every week into countries that hate us and support terrorists.

POSTED BY: blackandgold (June 30, 2008 06:52 PM)
I agree. Liberals and environmental wackos are the reason known supplies are so tight. The un-tapped oil is there, and we've known about it for years. Why can't we go get it? I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the plight of the red-headed, striped-tailed, cockadaded woodpecker and his pals. My well being, and that of the rest of our American society, should come first. Alternate energy sources cannot fuel anywhere near all the demands of the U.S. Stop living in Disneyland, people. Stop trying to please OPEC. We need the oil. We know where it is. Go get it.

POSTED BY: sth_txs (June 30, 2008 10:14 PM)
"Most of our economic problems can be traced back to a small group of business and government leaders. " You mean like the Federal Reserve? No Constitutional basis for this agency. As they say, follow the money, especially if it is the entity able to create it. Developing the oil shales and tar sands is not a bad idea, but these do require some large water resources and energy to produce.

POSTED BY: Time for a change (June 30, 2008 10:28 PM)
Reliance on foreign oil from unfriendly countries has been a major problem for the U.S. since the days of Nixon. Even though both parties have been in power, neither has developed an energy policy. The current ethanol policy is all about agricultural subsidies and does nothing to help us out of this foreign oil dependency mess. When will the politicians step up to the plate and promote some real solutions? We've had 40 years of talk and no serious policy. Forget abortion/life/school prayer/intelligent design/gun control and all the other issues of far less long-term significance. The first candidate to offer and promote a real U.S. energy policy the way Kennedy once promoted the space race will get my total support.

POSTED BY: HerkCO (July 01, 2008 09:48 AM)
Great article. The US government (the congress) knows it can relieve this crisis. It won't. It helped create it. Open these areas for drilling, watch them closely, give incentives for alternative fuels, then let the market do what it does best. Get the government out of the way...government is the problem not the solution.

POSTED BY: Oliver (July 01, 2008 11:42 AM)
Over 30,000 acres of federal lands in Colorado and Utah have in fact been leased (of reserved as preferential leases) for oil shale pilot projects. Most of the federal lands overlying the Green River Formation (oil shale lands) are managed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act but are not afforded any extra protections, are not off-limits for most commercial energy production, and are--in fact--already under control of energy companies. However, these companies have only put about 1/3 of the federal acreage they control into production. I understand that facts get in the way of the simplistic 'Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less' meme, but they are facts nonetheless.

POSTED BY: cynthia (July 01, 2008 12:02 PM)
It has been proven by well reknown scientists that Al Gore's theory of global warming is a farce. It amazes me he drives around in a high end, 8 mile a gallon SUV, and continually flies our friendly skies in airplanes all over the world. How can he preach something he doesn't live. Remember, practice what you preach Al Gore!!

POSTED BY: Jim Ostroff (July 01, 2008 02:49 PM)
Jim Ostroff: Kiplinger does not take sides on any issue and we did not with this article. Our only goal was to incite people to think and I’d say we have done that. We are not editorializing in favor of fossil fuels. We’ve done extensive pieces on the vast potential for renewable energy development, energy conservation and nuclear power. We feel it’s important to highlight the nation’s real and potential oil endowment in light of the ever more shrill comments by those who warn the world is on the cusp of declining oil production. Fact is, the U.S. has enormous oil resources. Decisions need to be made by government and industry as to whether these reserves should be tapped and if so, under what environmental constraints. Oil production and transport are far safer than ever and have a smaller environmental footprint. But there are environmental issues, just as with solar, wind and biofuels. The nation’s “energy fix” will continue to get worse until elected officials get serious about adopting policies that promote energy production and clean air. Given the U.S.’s growing demand, this will require the development of ALL resources: fossil fuels, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, biomass and enhanced energy conservation. Thirty-five years after the first “energy crisis,” we have made little progress toward any semblance of a rational energy strategy. Why is this? I’d say it’s a sign of our era — one of extreme partisanship that leaves little room for rational discussion of most any issue and makes compromise nearly impossible. In place of statesmanship we get shrill condemnation of the “other side,” ever louder rhetoric and unadulterated vitriol. Why is this? Is it something in the water on Capitol Hill and 50 statehouses? It reflects public divisions and attitudes. Look over the tenor of some comments made here. The extreme enmity and partisanship are palpable. Why is the U.S.’s energy situation more dire than ever? Politicians are an easy target, but they reflect our views. They are us.

POSTED BY: Cara (July 01, 2008 03:23 PM)
Who opens a soda, and then after a couple drinks opens a new soda? Yeah it makes things easier to open up a reserve right now, and for a SHORT TERM, lower gas prices... but who are we to ruin all of these natural reserves? and for what reason? so we can have an easier time managing our personal budgets? so we can hop in the car and drive to the store to pick up a loaf bread when it's only a mile away? when did convenience trump nature? we already have cans of soda opened, i think it would be wiser to research fuel/energy alternatives, rather than lobby to open up new reserves. Think for just a moment of how careless you were when gas was $1.29/gallon, it was still a nonrenewable resource then, Think about it... and Take Some Responsibility! or continue along.. blaming democrats, blaming Bush, blaming the world...

POSTED BY: Matt Dooley (July 01, 2008 05:29 PM)
So, Cara, are you saying it's good to give more of our money to the Middle East? We give them oil dollars, and they invest a large portion of the proceeds in US Bonds. Now they're influencing our economy thru high oil prices as well as pressure to lower inflation by increasing interest rates. Who will that hurt? American consumers. Better to spend our oil money here, allowing AMERICANS to buy dollars, and generally employing folks and raising revenues we could use to build roads, hospitals, or really nice pizza parlors.

POSTED BY: Rob (July 01, 2008 09:32 PM)
Jim, You make excellent points across the board. It's unfortunate that political pandering to special interest groups has put us in the position. Although tough to hear, everyone on this site must understand a basic truth...that the earth has no intrinsic value. It's only purpose is to support life, primarily human life. We must use all its resources (sensibly, of course). Leaving huge amounts of oil in the ground makes no sense. Judicious consumption of oil is the only way to bridge the gap between the carbon energy economy and future renewables.

POSTED BY: Joe Honick (July 01, 2008 09:48 PM)
Hold on their, Jim. This is one of the most naive presentations I have seen yet.(I sent a comment earlier that seemed to have been erased when I hit submit), Your presentation assumes the international oil industry really wants to get at that American reserve right now. Unfortunately, you overlook the reality the Saudis alone spend millions monthly on PR/Lobbying not only to make them look good here but to restrain any interference with their profitability that has put them in position to invest in the US, the UK and elsewhere without firing a shot. In fact, the vast oil industry of the Middle East which also cotrols much of the major oil companies by virtue of its assets is quite happy with barrel prices as they are. Event the Libyan oil minister in the last couple of days boasted how he would have to restrain production to push barrel prices well beyond what they are. You may recall that LIbya is run by Qaddaffi, the admitted murderer of airline passengers over Lockerbie who not only now wants to renege on payments to victims' families but who was warmly embraced by George Bush, Tony Blair and the UN and literally welcomed back to the family of nations. Is this something new? Of course not. How do you think the streetcars of America were replaced with gas guzzling buses? The oil and auto industries lobbied that through along with the interstate highway sytstem and the hundreds of thousands of gas stations that line it. Is it any wonder they are successful when the Libuyans are paying $2.5 million to the former Speaker Designate of the US House of Representatives Bob Livingston to keep their skirts clean while the Saudis shell out tons to firms like Qorvis and Patton/Boggs among others every 30 days. Do you really think the oil companies are terribly unhappy when justone, EXXON,.winds up the year with $11 BILLION IN NET PROFITS? This is not a livberal/conservative or Democrat/Republican battle, and you have shown huge naivete on the subject.

POSTED BY: Ken Ledford (July 02, 2008 09:18 AM)
Is is really amazing how this President and this Congress can sit on this issue and other parts of their anatomy and do absolutely nothing to solve our energy crisis. We have allowed them to do this by not voting against every single one of them, no matter party affiliation, in times past. I do hope this changes this year. No one wants to see the destruction of the environent but no one can afford the current energy policies (lack of) either. What we need is comprehensive approach that will allow the development of these oil reserves tied to the a mandatory development of alternatives sources. This a such a simple concept that it is beyond the grasp of our current political leaders. But then again they aren't taking the beating that the average person in the street is as we continue to elect them and pay them huge salaries to do nothing.

POSTED BY: Leonard (July 02, 2008 09:36 AM)
Cara...you clearly speak for all environmentalists. The rest of us (who by the way love nature and seek to protect its majesty) must remember to thank the "greens" every single time we pull up to the pump and put $70 worth of gas in our vehicles. I assume you walk or ride a bike. Yeah right. Give me a break, we can drill for oil at home AND do it in an environmentally sound manner. Besides, we won't have a nation left if we keep coddling the special interest groups.

POSTED BY: Eric (July 02, 2008 09:42 AM)
Why do people always talk about these oil reserves as though they will be developed and then used in the US? The reality is that the oil company that extracts the oil will sell it on the world market, to the highest bidder, and reap as much profit as they can. That won't solve our issues.

POSTED BY: MUD ROY (July 02, 2008 10:00 AM)
I am a second generation oil man from Wyoming and we have always known that America has millions of barrels of untapped oil and we can get that oil without drilling in ANWAR or the OCS. The lower 48 states has untold amounts of undiscovered oil! I realize the time for oil is almost over and we (the oil industry) is a dying breed. What the alternative fuel people are doing is very honorable, what i do is very necessary. We must continue to drill for oil until we have proven alternative fuels are safe and will do the job. We can't just jump off into something because it might work. Look at what has happened by jumping into Ethonal...it is a total mess ! Ethonal has proven to be a big mistake and in time, I have no doubt will not be as cost effective as crude. People are talking about Electric cars. We don't know enough about riding in a car powered by electricity. Even now,long term cell phone use has been questioned as maybe being unsafe. People living around power plants have developed cancer at a higher percentage than the general public. Let's not jump off into something until it is proven if we let our oil infastructure run down and later find we need it, we may never recover ! How about we drill for undiscovered and known reserves first all the while working on alternative fuels until we are sure they are safe. How about working more on making oil safe burning. With all sience we have and the brilliant minds working on alternative fuels let's also go to work on making crude oil products clean burning and drill the Bakken sands in North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. That's just my solution and , maybe it's no solution at all but we better do something besidws talk about it soon !!!

POSTED BY: alexander (July 02, 2008 02:52 PM)
Besides, we won't have a nation left if we keep coddling the special interest groups. You mean like the SUV driving soccer moms and the oil companies? Yes, I do walk, bike, and take the bus. By choice. This article is ESTIMATES, that could be more, could be less, and is the amount of use stated at TODAYS USE. Global oil use has doubled every two years for the past several decades. The US alone uses what the entire world did 20 years ago. With the projected increase in oil continued, that 300 years of oil becomes 40. More oil is NOT the answer. The money that would be spent on expensive drilling and refining would be better spent on alternate forms of energy.

POSTED BY: LR (July 03, 2008 01:06 AM)
Interesting article. Interesting comments as well. Our family logs. Gasp! Another job that is not considered to be kosher by environmentalist. But I'll tell you what. We live in Montana where environmentalist have been in charge of the forests for the last 20 - 30 years or so. Guess what we have? A Forest Service that is now supported by the government instead of paying its own way as it used to. Forests that are a mess because environmentalists refuse to allow people who have gone to college and studied forestry (Forest Service employees) to manage the forests. Environmentalists have created a forest that is full of dead and dying timber. They haven't figured out that a forest isn't any different than a vegetable garden. If you don't thin and leave space between the trees, you have stunted growth and disease. You also have a forest that is full of different levels of high fuel sources for fires. This is why Montana is burning up every summer. My point is that we have tried to run forest the way the environmentalists wanted and look at the mess we're in now. Lets not let environmentalists dictate how we solve our energy crisis. They have their place because they help keep large companies from ravaging the land in their endless quest for higher and higher profits. But they also have a far left radical fringe that actually doesn't care about the environment at all. They just like to stir the pot and feed their hatred of people like my logging family. There isn't any logic to their rhetoric. Why not start drilling for oil now. We have the technology to drill so that it is safe for the environment. If it takes 7 or 10 years to actually produce enough to make a difference in oil prices then the environmentalists can use that time to develop for alternative fuel sources. By the time domestic oil production is up and running we should have converted enough of our fuel demands to alternative sources which should greatly lower our demand for oil wouldn't you think? Which means that whatever we produce domestically should be enough for our nation's demands. Which means that we should be able to tell Venezuela and OPEC to go fly a kite because we don't need their oil any more. So that's my solution. Drill and develop alternative fuel sources at the same time.

POSTED BY: Nomen (July 04, 2008 05:16 PM)
"Politicians are an easy target, but they reflect our views. They are us." Sorry Jim,they are not us. Both major parties are puppets of the same big money interests. They have betrayed our economy and want to continue distracting us by fanning emotional issues(abortion,gay rights,etc.). They then can use this conflict to create the appearance of gridlock. They say "whatever it takes" to get elected and then do the bidding of big money interests. A number of recent surveys have come out that the general public no longer feels that any of our elected officials are representing the best interests of our country. Sadly, our only choice remains, vote for liar A or liar B or extremist independent candidate C. No one else has enough money to even run for office. Many voters now base their vote on who will do the least damage. When all the apples are rotten, there isn't much to choose from.

POSTED BY: John S (July 24, 2008 09:36 AM)
Build the new refineries on BRAC closed military bases. This will help the local employment problem, provide the additional refinery capability, and there are no wildlife concerns to consider.

POSTED BY: steve (July 24, 2008 05:51 PM)
Agreed We have a Tar Sands , environmentally safe and proven technology, but can not get funding PROBLEM? check www.vikingsystemsenergy.com