Wouldn't it be a great time to double or even triple America's strategic oil reserve?

YESWouldn't it be a great time to double or even triple America's strategic oil reserve?
If it were a simple matter of acquiring said oil, one transaction and done, ';perhaps';, but it isn't that simple.





The oil reserve is a real, tangible thing. It exists, and by existing, it has to be somewhere.





Where it exists is in various large tanks, and I suppose the average one is about thirty feet high, and round, with a thirty foot diameter. The actual dimensions don't matter, but the point is, we don't simply have those sitting empty.





To add to the reserve means that we either increase expenditure on renting such tanks from private owners, or we spend money and build them, possibly including buying more land to build them on.





Maybe that would be a great idea as part of stimulating the economy, but with the National Debt already leaving ten trillion as a distant memory, we should consider the cost to hold onto it, not just the cost to acquire it.Wouldn't it be a great time to double or even triple America's strategic oil reserve?
America's obsession with oil will last only as long as the oil lasts. Maybe you haven't heard, but oil reserves are running low, and it not as easy to find anymore. Oil has gotten America into trouble, like in Iraq. I find it a complete waste of time to remain wholly dependent on a resource that is running out fast, is becoming harder to obtain, and which is not renewable. Wouldn't it be better to continue to develop alternative fuel sources instead of doggedly hanging on to something that has done more harm than good?


In Mexico, the plant that turns out Silverados is closing down for good. Apparently no one wants to buy a 12 cylinder gas-guzzler like that anymore. Is the American auto industry unable to understand that their insistence in producing bigger and more fuel consuming cars has brought them to the point that they now have to beg the government to bail them out?


No. It is not a good time to double or triple reserves of something that is passe.
Yep, it would be great but I doubt it will happen. By raising the reserve we would only placing more in storage, not in the cracker, therefore not at the pump. The trick is a better system of motivation, I'll admit, but there we have a problem too, just like we do with the small car and truck. Has anyone ever tried to pull a 15,000 pound payload with a small truck with a 4 cylinder motor. If you can get it rolling you're lucky. If you can get it to your destination you are luckier, especially without blowing the motor.


Another problem with the alternate power system is expense. Not all of our citizens can afford to purchase a new vehicle. I don't know the exact numbers but about 90 % of the cars on the road are over 5 years old. Of that 90% maybe 70 % are over 10 years old. Get my drift. Most people would like to have a new car but can't afford it.


Time for a different plan.
Karen you're an idiot. The fact you stated that the Chevy 1/2 ton has 12 cylinders confirms it. Look at the sales data, people where buying up ';gas guzzling'; trucks and SUV's like candy up until 2-3 years ago, when gas prices really spiked. In fact even the mighty Toyota got sucked in into the truck craze...tundra anyone. Japan makes predominantly small cars, the oil crunch was an event that worked in their favor. Also its not like the B3 never made fuel sipping cars...focus or cavalier...remember those. More and more people demanded trucks and suv's, for ford gm and chrysler made them. I bet everyone in this country knows someone with a ford explorer.....point proven. what is making matters worse right now is that people go the buy a car and they can't get financed. We gave the bank billions to free up lending, and yet no one is getting financed for car purchases.





now the answer the question at hand. I think we should pump up the reserve. Prices are down right now, and thats not going to last. So get it whiles it cheap. Also, the use of oil/ gas will never go away completely. There will never be hybrid or electrical construction equipment to replace what we have. trains will always be diesel electric (which what we should do with cars btw) and heavy machinery will always need to be greased.
Not really. We currently have about a two months supply of oil in reserve. If we tripled it, that would be six months..... we need to get off of oil and come up with an alternative that is cheap and abundent.
Yes.





And, more importantly, it's a good time to phase in a higher gasoline tax and a carbon tax, while prices are low.
I think it would be, but I also think we should drill our own oil and not send BILLIONS to other nations.
Better that,than doubling or tripling the national debt.