Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Make up your mind – foreign or domestic oil?

Everyone complains about our dependence on foreign oil.  Yet, when we have an opportunity to bring in oil from the northern U.S. and Canada via The Keystone XL Pipeline, everyone throws a fit. (Admittedly Canada is a foreign country, but we don’t really consider it as one.) Do you want to stop using foreign oil or not?

This new pipeline does need to come all the way down to Oklahoma and eventually Texas.  This oil is from oil sands and heavy crude. There are different kinds of crude from light, sweet crude to heavy, bitumen oil.  Each kind of oil requires a different refining process.  A single refinery will not be able to handle each kind of oil.  The Canadian crude oil is quite heavy.  Big, heavy refining equipment is needed to process this oil.  Most of the refineries which can handle this product are down on the Texas Coast.

The United States is in an economic mess.  It is estimated that the pipeline will create 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs in the U.S., as well as provide more than $5.2 billion in tax revenue to the Keystone XL corridor states.   That’s nothing to spit at.
Currently, in the United States, we have approximately 55,000 miles of crude oil trunk lines an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 miles of small crude gathering lines, and approximately 95,000 miles of pipelines to handle refined petroleum products.   The Keystone project is approximately 2,500 miles of pipeline.  When completed, it is estimated to bring in 1.1 MILLION BARRELS of oil A DAY!

So many products are made from crude oil - products that will probably surprise you. plastic gadgets, computer parts, cell phones, tools, bags, toys, candles, clothing (polyester, nylon), hand lotions, perfume, dishwashing liquids, ink, bubble gums, car tires, ammonia, heart valves, lubricants such as WD-40, machine oils, motor oil, grease, wax, used in the packaging of frozen foods, sulfur or sulfuric acid, roofing tar, asphalt.  Sulfur from crude oil is used as a fertilizing compound in much of today’s food crop production. (More detail listed below.)

We complain and complain about our dependence on foreign oil.  Here’s a chance for us to take a positive step in the right direction.  Instead of just talking the talk, we have to walk the walk.  

Step up America.  Back the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Project.




Items made from Petroleum


Credit cards   
Lycra   
Polyester          
Polar Fleece   
Hair coloring 
Hair curlers     
Hand lotion    
Lipstick             
Nail polish       
Pantyhose       
Perfumes         
Shampoo         
Shaving cream             
Shoe polish    
Shoes 
Glycerin             
Cold cream     
Combs               
Denture adhesive       
Dentures          
Deodorant      
Electric blankets         
Eyeglasses       
Food preservatives   
Insect repellent           
Carpets             
Mixing Bowls
Luggage           
Pillows               
Printer and Pen Ink   
Safety glass    
Refrigerants  
Linoleum          
Insecticides    
Roofing             
House paint   
Faucet washers           
Paint brushes               
Paint Rollers  
Loudspeakers               
LP records       
Cassettes         
CD's     
Artificial turf  
Asphalt for streets    
Awnings           
Balloons           
Ammonia
Antihistamines
Antiseptics
Artificial Limbs
Bandages
Cortisone
Hearing Aids
Heart Valves
Ballpoint pens              
Beach Umbrellas         
Boats  
Cameras           
Caulking           
Dyes    
Percolators
Drinking cups
Curtains
Candles
Ice buckets
Ice chests
Ice cube trays
Detergents
Dishwashing liquids
Floor wax
Mops
Brooms
Golf balls
Roller skate wheels
Life jackets
Golf bags
Guitar strings
Fishing boots
Fishing lures
Fishing rods
Footballs
Crayons
Movie film
Petroleum jelly
Rubbing Alcohol
Antifreeze
Car battery cases
Car enamel
Car sound insulation
Dashboards
Fan belts
Model cars
Motorcycle helmets
Oil filters
Tires
Electrical tape
Enamel
Epoxy paint
Fertilizers
Glue
Nylon rope
Parachutes
Plastic wood
Plywood adhesive
Putty
Rubber cement
   AND SO MUCH

                      MORE!


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