What Does It Mean To Be Energy Independent?

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4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

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Summary

The U.S. produces a lot of oil — currently more than 11 billion barrels a day. It produces so much oil and natural gas that overall, it sells more to other countries than it buys from foreign sources.

Yet a war almost 5,000 miles away has pushed U.S. gas prices to record levels – more than $4.30 per gallon, on average. This has lawmakers on both sides of the aisle wondering how the U.S. can become better insulated from global price shocks.

But Republicans, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, want to see more drilling on U.S. soil.

So what are our options to become more energy secure? And if we produce so much of our own oil, why are gas prices so high anyway?

We discuss all that and more.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, my name is Denea. I'm from Eugene. I think the answer is pretty obvious. We have to switch
0:14.3	to renewable and clean energy if we want to have a future at all because climate change is
0:21.0	devastating our planet and making less and less of the world habitable. So it's not really
0:26.6	a choice of should or should not we absolutely have to. Hello, this is Bartek from Denver. I believe
0:34.4	that there could not have been a better opportunity to move away from fossil fuels. I think the conflict
0:42.4	with Russia has proven how unstable geopolitical climate is for fossil fuels. It also shows us how
0:51.6	reliance and destructive fossil fuels are for planet. Therefore I think it could not be a better
0:58.6	opportunity for us to move away from fossil fuels and go all the way for renewables. The US produces a
1:05.7	lot of oil, more than 11 million barrels a day. It produces so much oil and natural gas that overall,
1:12.8	it sells more to other countries than it buys from foreign sources. But a war almost 5,000 miles away
1:19.7	has pushed already high US gas prices to record levels. More than $4 a gallon on average. This has
1:27.1	lawmakers on both sides of the aisle wondering how the US can become better insulated from global price
1:33.0	shocks. This crisis is a stark reminder to protect our economy over the long term we need to
1:38.6	become energy independent. I've had numerous conversations over the last three months with our
1:43.4	European friends about how they have to be wean themselves off of us Russian oil. It's just not
1:50.2	tenable. It should motivate us to accelerate the transition of clean energy. This is a perspective
1:56.4	extended our European allies share and the future where together we can achieve greater independence.
2:04.5	The president said he wants the country to look toward more renewable sources. But Republicans,
2:10.0	including House Minority Whip, Steve Scalise, want to see more drilling on US soil.
2:15.3	The answer is right beneath our feet. It's time for President Biden to say yes to American energy.
2:22.0	So how can the US become more energy secure? And if we produce so much of our own oil,
2:28.2	why are gas prices so high anyway? We'll discuss all that and more after the break. I'm John
	...

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