Of climate change and oil

Good science requires that every belief should be held open to honest challenge. Good public policy should be based on the preponderance of evidence. The former suggests we must reduce our demand for petroleum. The latter should demand that we do.

The Daily Herald’s Fence Post writer Aug. 8 suggests global warming is a fear mongering conspiracy and temperatures have dropped over the last 12 years. Published research though shows more than 97 percent of the world’s active climate scientists believe the earth’s climate is being changed by human activities. NASA’s Goddard Space Institute states the 20 warmest years since 1880 occurred since 1981 with “all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years.” The data and physical indications of global warming continue to pile up, notwithstanding what statements to the contrary might be found on the Web.

The letter’s larger point is that government is preventing us from achieving American energy freedom. This statement ignores the rapid rise in U.S. petroleum and natural gas drilling and production over the last four years. Based on USEIA, USGS and USBOEM data, domestic petroleum reserves grew at their fastest pace since 1977. U.S. proved reserves of petroleum now stand at 25.2 billion barrels. But this is only equal to four years of our 6.87 billion barrel/year addiction.

Further, the best current estimates are that America’s total onshore and offshore undiscovered petroleum reserves are only 124 billion barrels. That equals a 22-year domestic supply.

Is there any rational reason we should not substantially reduce domestic petroleum consumption? Time spent at the USEIA, USGS, USBOEM and NASA websites gives an appreciation of what those government agencies do to support both the public and private sectors with critical services and information rarely reported by the media.

Arthur P. Malm

Elgin