USEIA/Public Domain
Value of US Fossil Fuel Exports By Fuel, 1949-2010
The above line graphic was produced by the USEIA. The steeply up-sloping red trend line is for petroleum products, not crude oil.
Growth in US export value for petroleum products (in billions of real dollars per year), as charted, results from growing demand for petroleum products in developing economies like Brazil and China. Especially Brazil can be conveniently distributed to via US gulf coast refineries – some of which would benefit from increased access to Alberta Tar Sands-produced crude oil, by pipeline.
The driller they get, the faster they ship.
Growing overseas demand for oil and oil products – with some piling on by day traders – is why the US government is incapable of rapidly bringing down the cost of gasoline to under two bucks. The only thing that might bring that demand down in short order would be a dramatic crash of the economies of Brazil and/or China.
Tornadoes-per-day
Over the weekend more than 100 Mid-western state tornadoes were reported in a single 24-hour period. Not to make light of the tragedy, but such severe weather is related to increased fossil fuel consumption around the globe; US pipeline politics; and oil company money given to political campaigns, directly or indirectly.
Will significantly more of those digging out from the tornado wreckage think twice before supporting candidates who claim climate change is unrelated to human activity? I doubt it. Not while the truth is confused by dysfunctional broadcast media reporting. Maybe somehow magically that confusion will be remedied by better, more objective reporting?
Do ya think there is hope for mankind? Hard to believe right now as it is almost 90 degrees F here in the Philadelphia area – on March 16th.
Related posts:
Views: 0