How foolish it is to rely on other countries for our energy needs, especially oil and natural gas. Congress has been derelict in its duty to solve this problem and has made legislation to only make it worse.
This problem has only become visible with the advent of very high gas, diesel, heating oil, electricity and natural gas prices (not to mention the high prices and dependence on over 50 percent our nitrogen fertilizers). This problem is not new, but long in the making. This is an unintended consequence of federal legislation restricting on drilling for oil, building refinery capacity and power plant construction. Then add to the mix the foolishness of man-made climate change, global warming and carbon credits!
This current philosophy will only increase the price of energy and adversely affect the American people and our economy. Who gets hurt the most with these high energy prices? The low- and middle-income people.
High energy prices will significantly affect our whole economy. It results in higher prices for everything we purchase, from food, clothing, housing and education, to name a few. It is time to rely on American-produced energy. Drill on our own soil. Mine our own coal. Build our own refineries and power plants (Milbank, S.D.), including nuclear. Use the resources God has given us.
In western North Dakota there are enough known coal reserves to last over 600 years at the current rate of power generation -- they have four or five power plants supplying our state and others with using clean coal technologies already.
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They have more oil reserves than the whole Middle East! How about all the oil and natural gas on federally owned land and our coastal regions? Conservation is a factor in this, but conservation is not going to lower the price for energy or free us from the dependence on foreign oil, gas and fertilizer.
Federal legislation has restricted and shackled our energy independence. It is time to lift and remove these restrictions. It is time for Congress to make better decisions on our country's energy needs and to become energy-independent.
