FUSO
By: Mackenzie Davis & Alex Vuchkov
Free United States Oil - Written Statement
The United States currently supports many countries that go against everything we believe in, in order to import oil from them. For example, Saudi Arabia has an absolute monarchy, which is completely opposite of our beliefs, yet we have a very close relationship with them. Why? Because we need their oil so desperately that we are willing to sacrifice our principles. However, we have created an organization, FUSO (Free United States Oil), which will work to completely stop our dependence on foreign (especially Middle Eastern) countries’ oil. To learn more about our organization, keep reading.
How will we accomplish our goal? Well, our descriptive plan can be seen below in more detail, however we will provide you with a quick overview. We recommend a few different things all of which revolve around CONSERVING OIL. We believe that if the US is smart about the way that we use oil and use alternate forms of energy then we will be able to become completely oil independent.
So what are the steps of this plan? Well, our first steps are to get rid of regulations currently in place that do not permit us to drill in the United States. If we can completely free ourselves of these regulations we will be able to utilize oil that is found in our country. This will give us a lot of the oil that we are currently taking from foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia. Secondly, we suggest permitting nuclear power plants to be used. If they are run correctly they will not be of any danger to civilians. This will conserve a lot of the oil that is typically used for power/electricity. Also, we suggest burning coal rather than oil. The US has an abundance of coal, while we are low on oil. So what is the solution? Burn coal! Among many other things that can be found in the outline of our plan, we want to require alternative energy sources. By this we mean that we want to make it a requirement to use wind energy, solar energy, etc. This way we will conserve oil and therefore have a bigger supply. To learn more in depth about our plan, read the outline of our plan, seen later in our smore.
Why should you support FUSO? If you believe in America and want to keep America on top, then you will automatically want to support us. We are an all-American organization and we are working to do what is best for the country. The United States needs to get out of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries. We need to stand by our beliefs in government and society. If we didn’t get resources from these countries there is no way we would be “close friends” with these socialist/monarchist countries. If we want to solve the problems in foreign affairs, we have to start by becoming energy dependent.
Alternative Energy Sources
Nuclear Power Plants
If operated correctly, nuclear power plants can be very effective.
Solar Energy
Solar energy doesn't pollute and is a great alternative.
Coal Power Plants
The US is low on oil, but has plenty of coal. Maybe we should rely more on coal.
Plan of Action
1. Energy Independence. Right now the US is only 70% energy independent. That means that we are 30% dependent on foreign countries (such as those in the Middle East) for our energy. Our goal is to get the US 100% energy independent.
2. Allow pipeline production. It is critical that the United States government allows pipeline production. This way we can transport oil and get access to it from drilling sites in the US. If we don’t build pipelines, we don’t have access to oil.
3. Allow fracking. Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) is the process of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the wellbore, from where it can be extracted. If we do this, it will give us access to oil trapped in rocks and we will have more oil in our country that we won’t have to get from other countries. Some fractures already exist in rocks that fracking can make larger, which will allow us to get more oil. As a result of this, we can utilize more oil from a certain area. (Increase production). Fracking has resulted in many oil and gas wells attaining a state of economic viability, due to the level of extraction that can be reached.
4. Require alternative energy sources. (Wind, solar, etc.) These sources of energy are renewable, and have very few drawbacks. While nuclear power and coal have some very negative things about them, these renewable energy sources do not have any severe consequences. Alternative energy sources are renewable and are thought to be "free" energy sources. If we continue the way we have been (relying on only fossil fuels and oil), we will have no other choice but to use wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources for 1/3 of our energy. We plan to enforce rules that require using these “free” energy sources. These include Biomass Energy, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, and Geothermal Energy sources.
5. Produce more efficient vehicles. Cars, planes, and all other types of vehicles use tons of oil every single day. But by using energy efficient vehicles, you can conserve tons of oil. FUSO will encourage the production of these vehicles so that more people on the road are using energy efficient vehicles. If everyone used these new, innovative vehicles, we could conserve a HUGE amount of oil and therefore not be dependent on foreign countries for oil.
6. Burn coal – not oil. Coal is a fossil fuel just like oil. However, while we have a very low supply of oil/gas, the United States has an abundance of coal. Coal is easily combustible, and burns at low temperatures, making coal-fired boilers cheaper and simpler than many others. It is by far less expensive than oil and is easily accessible. However, there are some disadvantages to burning coal such as the fact that it is non-renewable and fast depleting. It also adds to pollution in the world
7. Permit nuclear power plants, run them correctly. If run correctly, nuclear power plants can have huge benefits. For example, nuclear power has very low greenhouse gas emissions. While oil has to be imported, nuclear power plants can be sited almost anywhere. The plants also rarely experience problems and if they do have problems it is due to human error. Also, a lot of energy comes from a single plant. We suggest that if nuclear power is used, the plants are put in the middle of nowhere, in not very populated areas.
8. Get rid of regulations that don’t permit drilling in the US. We (FUSO) want to completely rid ourselves of all the regulations currently in place that don’t allow the United States to drill in the country. We plan to drill in places in the United States that are not yet tapped into. This will provide us with more oil and we won’t have to use other countries’ oil. However, even if we do drill more oil we want to conserve what oil we do find in the US.
9. CONSERVE OIL. Our main idea is to conserve oil. It won’t last forever and there is no other way to become energy independent. There are many ways that we want to do this, many of which are also mentioned in our plan of action. We want to make sure the citizens of the US use fuel efficient cars which will cut down on our use of oil. Also, we want to rely on other sources of energy such as renewable sources as well as nuclear/coal power.