Drilling Ourselves into a Hole

TALKING POINTS: Drilling Ourselves into a Hole

Oily Lingo:

“Peak Oil” - Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. If global consumption is not mitigated before the peak, a world energy crisis may develop because the availability of conventional oil will drop and prices will rise, perhaps dramatically.

Why are gas and oil prices so high?

Many experts give varying reasons why gas and oil prices remain high. Here are just a few:

• Slowdown in growth of world production, a sign of the “peaking” of global output
• Asia and India increased consumer demand for oil
• The top 5 oil companies made record profits in 2007. What will they make in 2008?
• Speculators are buying oil because, with the weakened US dollar, Oil is a more stable investment. Also, Speculators think the US or Israel might attack Iran, sending oil prices soaring
• Some believe oil producers (whether domestic or international) are holding back their supply because they know the price will continue to get higher

How much money are oil companies making?

• In 2007, Exxon Mobil’s profits beat the record for highest profits ever made by a public U.S. company (previously held by Exxon) with a net profit of $40.6 billion. Another way of looking at this is that Exxon made $77,245 per minute in 2007, more money in one minute than 70% of Americans earned all year.
• It costs oil companies less than $10 barrel to extract and ship a barrel of oil.
• Finding costs to explore and develop an oil field range from $5 per barrel in the Middle East to $67 per barrel off the U.S. coast.
• Oil has doubled in price over the past 12 months and gas prices have
• See “Big Oil Feasts on Economic Woes” (by Daniel Weiss, Center for American Progress, 2/7/08)

10 Reasons NOT to lift the Offshore Drilling Moratorium from the Center for American Progress:

1. We can’t drill our way out of the energy crisis

2. We don’t have enough oil to meet our demand

3. Oil companies have not utilized the leases they have now

4. Offshore drilling would have an “insignificant” effect on long-term prices

5. Drilling could lock us in to a future of expensive gasoline

6. Production would be expensive, would not start for a long time, and would have no short-term effect on oil prices

7. There isn’t enough drilling equipment

8. We can’t refine the oil we would extract

9. Drilling more oil now is not the path to a future based on alternative energy

10. Debating offshore drilling in sensitive areas distracts from real solutions

Center for American Progress on Offshore Drilling

See also “A Better Solution for Gas Prices” (by Sam Davis and Daniel Weiss, 5/1/08)

“Big Oil Plays Congress for a Fool” (by Nick Kong and Alexandra Kougentakis, 4/3/08)

How Oily are your Members of Congress?

Senators who vote against clean energy take on average 3 times more oil money than those who vote for clean energy.

OIL MONEY DATABASE

Follow the Oil Money Key Findings

Talking Points: Iran, Can We Talk?

EVENTS:

Time to Talk to Iran, June 10^th, 2008

As rhetoric continues to escalate and tensions mount between the U.S. and Iran, the transpartisan Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran will hold an event on Capitol Hill to underscore the need for new, responsible and effective U.S. policies and leadership to reduce the likelihood of a conflict that would have disastrous consequences.

What: The Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI) will hold an innovative “Time to Talk with Iran” event and press conference on the Terrace of the West Side of the Cannon House Office Building. With the U.S. Capitol backdrop, Members of Congress, celebrities, former officials, and other citizens visiting Capitol Hill will use a row of 60’s-era red “hotline” telephones to talk directly to ordinary Iranians in Tehran. Concurrently on June 10, the Campaign has organized a nationwide Call-in to Congress for Diplomacy with Iran for organizations with grassroots constituencies.

Who: Members of Congress, Former Officials, Foreign Policy experts and more.

When: June 10, 2008, at 10:00 am – 2:00 pm EDT

Where: Terrace on the West Side of Cannon House Office Building, Washington,DC

Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran supporters believe that a military confrontation with Iran would have enormous human and financial costs and would plunge the Middle East, and global economy, into further violence and chaos. The Campaign advocates direct, sustained, unconditional and comprehensive talks between the governments of the United States and Iran as a realistic way to resolving the long-standing conflicts between the two countries. Dozens of non-governmental organizations and many prominent individuals support the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran mission statement, including former high-level U.S. officials, prominent experts and others working in Washington.

For more information about the Campaign and its supporters, visit www.newiranpolicy.org. For more information on the event, please contact Carah Ong at

National Call-In Day on Iran, June 10, 2008: Tell Congress you want direct dialogue with Iran, not war

The same people who called for attacking Iraq now are raising the drumbeat for military action against Iran. Despite the November 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate concluding that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program, the Bush administration is bolstering its case for war by labeling Iran one of the greatest threats to American security.

Current U.S. policies are not working. Threats of military attacks and regime change, while refusing to talk with Iran until they stop enriching uranium is only heightening tensions

· Call your Congressional Representative on Tuesday, 1-800-788-9372

o Tell them to work for direct, unconditional, and comprehensive talks between the U.S. and Iran;

o The U.S. and Iran share a common interest: a stable Iraq, Middle East and Afghanistan.

o The U.S. pursued negotiations with North Korea and Libya—it’s time to talk with Iran.

· Bombing Iran would bring disastrous consequences.

o The entire Middle East likely would descend into further violence putting the well-being of innumerable civilians at risk.

o U.S. standing in the world would plummet and oil prices would soar.

o A U.S. attack would only strengthen hardliners in Iran.

ARTICLES/BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS

"Time for a Diplomatic Surge with Iran" (by Carah Ong, April 29, 2008, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation)

"American-Iranian Relations: A Code of Conduct and Guide for Action” (by Carah Ong, April 22, 2008, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation)

Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq (by Stephen Kinzer, Times Books 2007)

All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror (by Stephen Kinzer, Wiley 2003)

Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons (by Joseph Cirincione, Columbia University Press 2007)

"Jesus Says Bomb Iran" (by Phil Giraldi, Huffington Post, May 8, 2008)

Lessons From Iraq: Avoiding the Next War (Co-Edited by William Hartung and Miriam Pemberton, Paradigm Publishers 2008)

“McCain on Nuclear Security” (by William Hartung, Talking Points Memo, May 28, 2008)

"Iran's Struggle for a More Equitable World Order" (by Rostam Pourzal, Campaign Against Sanction and Military Intervention in Iran, April 14, 2008)

“My Meeting with Ahmadinejad” (by Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus, September 28, 2007)

“The United States and 'Regime Change' in Iran” (by Stephen Zunes, WorldPress August 22, 2007)

“Mr. Kinzer Goes to Washington, Seeking Real Diplomacy with Iran” (by Robert Naiman, Huffington Post May 30, 2008)

“A New Tack Toward Tehran” (by Andrew Grotto, Center for American Progress, May 28, 2008)

“AP: China Gives IAEA Intel on Iran” (by Andrew Grotto, Center for American Progress, April 2, 2008)

Re-engage! America and the World After Bush (by Helena Cobban, Paradigm Publishers May 2008)

NEWS:

U.S., EU criticize Iran’s defiance on nuclear work Associated Press 6/4/08

Senior Iran cleric slams IAEA over alleged nuclear studies Agence France-Presse, May 31, 2008

Nuclear Report: Parsing Iran’s Intent Christian Science Monitor 6/5/08

Olmert and Bush set for talks over Iran’s nuclear programme Guardian 6/4/08

Bush, Olmert discuss Iran under cloud of uncertainty Agence France-Presse 6/4/08

U.N. nuclear watchdog faults Iran’s lack of cooperation Christian Science Monitor 65/27/08

Iran President Ahmadinejad Condemns Israel, U.S. Los Angeles Times 6/4/08

Rumors of War: Is Bush Gearing Up to Attack Iran? Alternet 6/5/08

Iran: US-Iraq security deal aims to enslave Iraqis Associated Press 6/4/08

Iran refuses to give more details on weapons programme Agence France-Presse 6/5/08

Iran Mulls Former U.S. Envoys’ Plan for Supervised Enrichment Bloomberg 6/5/08

Are Ahmadinejad’s Days Numbered? Time Magazine 5/29/08

Iran’s former nuclear negotiator gets parliament speaker post for a year International Herald Tribune 6/1/08

GALLUP POLL:

Americans Favor President Meeting with U.S. Enemies: New Gallup Poll

• Large majorities of Democrats and independents, and even about half of Republicans, believe the president of the United States should meet with the leaders of countries that are considered enemies of the United States. Overall, 67% of Americans say this kind of diplomacy is a good idea.
• Although separate Gallup polling shows that few Americans view Iran favorably, and that Iran leads Americans' list of top U.S. enemies in the world, the new Gallup survey also finds high public support for presidential-level meetings between the United States and Iran, specifically.
• About 6 in 10 Americans (59%) think it would be a good idea for the president of the United States to meet with the president of Iran. This includes about half of Republicans, a majority of independents, and most Democrats.

Visit: http://www.gallup.com/poll/107617/Americans-Favor-President-Meeting-US-Enemies.aspx

A World of Possibilities on Iran:

Iraq Redux: The Consequences of a U.S. Attack on Iran: http://www.aworldofpossibilities.com/details.cfm?id=315

Ancient Persia, Modern Iran: Radiance, Repression and Transcendence: http://www.aworldofpossibilities.com/details.cfm?id=304

WEBLINKS

Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI): http://www.newiranpolicy.org/

Time to Talk to Iran: http://www.newiranpolicy.org/536/29301.html

Enough Fear Campaign: http://enoughfear.org/

The Action Mill: http://www.actionmill.com/

Ploughshares Fund: http://www.ploughshares.org/

The American Conservative Magazine: http://www.amconmag.com/

Physicians for Social Responsibility: http://www.psr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Home

Arms Security Initiative, New America Foundation: http://www.newamerica.net/programs/american_strategy/arms_security

Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran: http://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/

Foreign Policy in Focus: http://www.fpif.org

Just Foreign Policy: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/

Just World News Blog: http://justworldnews.org/

Center for American Progress: http://americanprogress.org

American Conservative Defense Alliance: http://acdalliance.org/

Project for Nuclear Awareness: http://projectfornuclearawareness.org/