The Road to Conflict

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As residents of the U.S. we are often encouraged to see our abundance and wealth as a blessing from a benevolent Creator and the fruit of a free and democratic society. While comforting and self-affirming, this moral construct can be very misleading. It conveniently allows us to ignore a multitude of human and environmental costs that lie in the wake of our privilege. As we continue down the endless road of the “long war” against those who would threaten our way of life; as we face a growing crisis of global climate change and the profound impact that it may have on our children; and as we acknowledge an addiction to the benefits of a consumptive society that demands our control over the world and its resources, it may be a good time to reflect on how we have used one of our “blessings”.

As hard as it is to believe today, the U.S. was once the world’s leading oil producer and thought to possess the greatest oil reserves on the planet. During World War II the U.S. supplied over 85% of the petroleum used by the Allied Powers and was instrumental in fueling a great post-war economic boom. However, as early as 1940, with the recent discovery of vast oil reserves in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. beginning to import oil from foreign markets, the Roosevelt administration realized that access to oil was a national security issue.

Commitments made between President Roosevelt and King Ibn Saud in a meeting held on February 14, 1945 solidified a policy of U.S. protection of Saudi sovereignty in return for access to what would become the world’s largest oil reserve. This policy remains essentially unchallenged more than a half century later, and has guided formal doctrines of foreign policy for all successive U.S. presidents. The Carter Doctrine issued to a Joint Session of Congress in January of 1980 famously stated “Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”

A Growing Dependence on Foreign Oil

Despite the national security implications, our dependency on the Persian Gulf and on foreign oil supplies in general has grown dramatically. In 1972 U.S. domestic oil production peaked and has been in measured decline ever since. Concurrently, U.S. oil demand has increased steadily from 17.3 million barrels per day (mbd) in 1973 to over 20 mbd today. The U.S. Energy Information Service estimates that U.S. consumption of liquid fuels is expected to increase to 22.8 mbd by 2030. At the same time domestic oil production is expected to drop to 4.6 mbd. No amount of oil drilling or access to offshore reserves will significantly alter this course.

Today the U.S. consumes nearly 25% of the world’s oil production. Petroleum accounts for 40 % of our nation’s total energy supply, more than any other energy source. Virtually every aspect of our daily lives depends on a steady supply of foreign oil. Approximately 97% of our transportation system runs on petroleum; systems that take us to work, extract raw materials, produce goods and services, and build our infrastructures. Oil underpins our food system, from its production and harvesting to its distribution and preparation. It is essential to our health care system including the production of medicines, medical supplies, and instrumentation. Oil is essential to life as we know it. It is no wonder that we must do anything necessary to secure it.

Did You Know . . .

Today approximately 60% of all oil consumed in the U.S. comes from foreign suppliers;
Sixty-six (66%) percent of the world’s proven oil reserves are found in the Persian Gulf Region
　
Who has the Oil? (click for larger image)

World crude oil production now stands at approximately 82 million barrels per day (mbd)
Most energy experts believe that the rate of world oil production is at or near its peak; Future rates of production are expected to plateau then decline;
World oil demand continues to rise at approximately 2% annually and is predicted to reach 119 mbd by 2025.

A New Arms Race

. . .Over Energy Resources?

Click on image to watch Michael Klare, author of Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict,

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