US Addiction to Oil Enriches Dictators

If you factor in the cost of securing our access to oil, the actual price of gasoline is somewhere near $10 per gallon. Our oil demand drives up prices worldwide, pouring funds into the coffers of foreign regimes that hold anti-American sentiments.  Meanwhile, even if we buy oil from a friendly country like Mexico, problem countries in the Middle East can hold us hostage by forcing up global oil prices—as Middle Eastern countries in OPEC have done time and time again.

“Our addiction to fossil fuels is costing us lives…By investing in clean energy we are not only saving the lives of our troops; we are also protecting the future of our nation.”

- Cpt. Jon Powers
United States Army

“Except for our own Civil War, this is the only war that we have fought where we are paying for both sides. We pay Saudi Arabia $160 billion for its oil, and $3 or $4 billion of that goes to the Wahhabis, who teach children to hate. We are paying for these terrorists with our SUVs.”

- Jim Woolsey
Former CIA Director

The United States has an opportunity to act now to avert humanitarian and economic crises of the future.  As Americans, the risk of not taking action is too great and places too much of a burden on our soldiers.  More funding must be allocated to support research and development of renewable and secure energy sources in the United States.  The world’s energy demands will grow by 40% by 2030, and we cannot continue to support these needs with unsustainable and dirty sources of power.

Currently, we are providing funding to some of the most dangerous regimes around the world from Saudi Arabia, to Venezuela, to Iran, our money is being used by bad people to prop up governments which hurt their citizens and attack democracy. Our military is also addicted to oil. Our military could be unable to function effectively if one of these unfriendly leaders decides to end oil exports.

Learn More: www.livespergallon.org

READ MORE: Our Electric Grid