From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Energy Independence, good news or bad?

Hello again, I'm Armin Almi, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

With twice the oil and three times the natural gas previously estimated and plenty of coal,

the U.S. could produce more fuel than it burns in just a few years. But America's energy independence could lead to economic upheaval in countries that depend on energy exports,

big trouble for global stability. Beyond that, while oil and natural gas

burn cleaner than coal, there's still fossil fuels, and with the latest technology, they might

never run out. Would that kill economic incentives for alternative energy sources, and the

political will to deal with climate change before it's too late? On reporter's notebook later on,

another look at gun control in the Senate.

First, here's the news.

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Program Fund. Hello again, Warren. Iney, back with With To the Point.

The U.S. may be on the way to energy independence and new technology may guarantee that the world will never run out of fossil fuel.

What would that mean for the global economy?

And the political will to slow climate change by developing alternative sources of energy.

On the Porter's notebook, as the NRA celebrates the defeat of background checks at this

week's convention, a backlash could lead to another move in the Senate. We'll hear about that.

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