Oil Vulnerabilities and United States Strategy
Abstract
The United States, its industries, livelihood, and economy depend on oil. The United States is the world's largest consumer of oil, with daily usage of approximately 20 million barrels. Approximately 12.6 million barrels of oil per day is imported from foreign sources. Dependence on foreign oil leaves the American lifestyle, its freedoms, and its economy extremely vulnerable to risk, and exposed to factors outside the United States' immediate control. Foreign political or military action, acts of terrorism abroad, and the world's growing and competing demands for limited oil supplies are factors that could affect America's energy security. Additionally, acts of terrorism on American soil directed at its vast petroleum distribution infrastructure could have a devastating impact on transportation and industry, bringing the nation and economy to a virtual stand still. These factors place the United States in a precarious position. As a new world order continues to take shape, oil remains a strategic commodity, critical to national strategies and international politics. Is the U.S. government promoting technology advances to find effective, efficient, and affordable solutions to fossil fuels? The author intends to explore vulnerabilities associated with the United States' dependence on foreign oil and reveal if the nation has an effective strategy to reduce its dependence on foreign oil.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 08, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA468533
Entities
People
- Shawn P. Walsh
Organizations
- United States Army War College