We now see gasoline at four dollars per gallon. In the 1970s, Jimmy Carter advocated a domestic oil production program using oil shale and other alternate sources of energy. With gasoline this expensive and with the research developments of the past 30 years, this is now a realistic goal. What has happened? The Democrats have changed their minds. They no longer want domestic oil production. They want to stop the use of carbon-based fuels of all kinds.
Last month, the U.S. Senate’s Appropriations Committee voted 15-14 to kill a bill that would have ended a one-year moratorium on enacting rules for oil shale development on federal lands (which is where the best oil shale is located).
Why ?
Fortune: Has oil shale development always been a partisan issue or is this something new?Sen. Allard: It is something new. The issue with the Democrats now is they want to cut off any source of carbon. And there are those in the Senate who believe the more expensive you make gasoline, the less driving people do and you force conservation by making driving so expensive people can’t afford it.
Is it possible that Republicans are smart enough to take advantage of this foolishness ?
Let’s hope so.