Energy Independence

 

                Hello, and welcome to my blog! Yesterday I read an article by Clifford Krauss and Eric Lipton titled We’ve Got the Power. This article covered how an increase in oil and gas production and increased conservation are bringing the U.S. closer to energy independence.

                All across the U.S., the oil and gas industry is increasing at a quickening rate. Also, the U.S. has decreased their overall gasoline usage. Many have switched to alternative fuels or more fuel-efficient vehicles. Together, these actions are making the United States less dependent on the somewhat hostile countries from which we receive most of our gasoline. In the past three years, we have reduced 20% of gasoline imports from foreign countries. With the new technology of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, oil and gas can be extracted from a large amount of underground area, making the collection much more effective and making it easier to acquire oil and gas. Also, climate change is causing oil consumption to decrease. As people become more environment-friendly, they are burning less oil and gas. Overall, the U.S. is getting very close to achieving the goal of energy independence.

                I believe that the United States is fully capable of quickly reaching this goal, as long as everyone becomes a little more energy conscious. With fracking and the climate change, America is changing rapidly and is becoming much more independent energy-wise. Also, with many more fuel-efficient cars on the road today, energy usage decreases even more. Within a few years, America could soon become almost completely energy independent.

 

Picture: http://legalplanet.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/fracking-diagram.gif