Our Buddy Hugo
In only the latest indicator of the consequences of continued dependence on foreign oil, the cranky head of our fourth-largest supply of petroleum, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, threatened Sunday to halt all crude exports to the United States because Exxon Mobil is resisting his efforts to exert greater state control over the Venezuelan oil industry.
“Continue, and you will see that we won’t send one drop of oil to the empire of the United States,” Chavez blustered.
Luckily, we are starting to greatly extend our supplies of petroleum — and thereby reduce the importance of Chavez and his fellow petro-tyrants — by ramping up production of renewable fuels like ethanol. In fact, according to an analysis by Bruce Dale of Michigan State University, we displace 22 units of petroleum for every unit of ethanol produced.
How do you like that, Hugo?
Sources:
“Chavez Threatens to End Oil Exports to U.S. in Exxon Feud,” by Simon Romero, February 11, 2008.
“Thinking Clearly About Biofuels,” by Dr. Bruce Dale, Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, August 9, 2007.
