Former spy chief urges oil cutback [R. James Woolsey]

Miami Herald ^ | Sunday, December 2, 2007 | Jane Bussey

[SunkenCiv]

"We should not just try to import less oil," the former CIA director under former President Clinton told a Miami audience Sunday. "We should destroy oil as a strategic commodity" that allows oil exporting nations to hold monopoly power... Woolsey's wide-ranging speech went from describing how Americans' dollars at the gas pumps made their way to fundamentalist Islamic institutions to illustrating advances in solar energy technology that make it more efficient and affordable... Among his suggestions was California's decision to decouple energy company profits from sales two decades ago, keeping the state's electricity consumption flat while the rest of the states have experienced a 60 percent increase. He also cited Wal-Mart for reducing electricity consumption by 20 percent to 25 percent at its stores, a giant savings considering that 70 percent of the world's electricity is used by buildings other than homes... Woolsey also made a pitch for new battery-powered, flex-fuel cars that could be recharged during off-peak periods of electricity costs... On the malignant side, oil and coal consumption are contributing to global warming, which could accelerate at any point. The U.S. electricity grid and world oil supplies also face threats from terrorists and not just glitches that can now cause massive power outages in the interconnected grid.

[Smokin' Joe]

Sorry to throw so much ‘101’ in there. I know you are more knowledgeable, but many who read the thread (apparently!) are not.

Regards,

Smokin’ Joe

[thackney]

I always enjoy reading threads where you can provide info.

[kenmcg]

Another freakin’ moron from the Beltway!!! Bottom line it’s time to power up the country full speed ahead. Drill in ANWR, drill off the the coasts and in the Gulf. Help Canada develop the oil sands. Screw the NIMBY’s and start building more oil refineries and nuke plants. If we don’t China and Russia will pass us and our grand kids will live in a3rd world country.