Bush calls for dramatic cut in Mideast oil imports

WASHINGTON – US President George W Bush on Tuesday called for a 75-per cent cut in US oil imports from the Middle East by 2025 to wean the United States off its “addiction” to energy from unstable regions.

In his annual State of the Union address to Congress, Bush announced federal spending to research new technologies for generating power and for switching vehicles to cleaner fuels. “Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world,” he said.”The best way to break this addiction is through technology.”The Department of Energy, having spent nearly US$10 billion since 2001 on alternative energy sources, will see its funding boosted by 22 per cent under the Bush initiative.”To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy,” he said.Nuclear energy has been held in mistrust by many Americans since the Three Mile Island reactor meltdown of 1979.But since the passage of a controversial energy bill in July last year, nine companies have come forward with plans to build up to 19 new reactors.The president has earmarked two billion dollars over 10 years to speed up research into clean coal.The 2007 federal budget includes US$192 million for work on exploiting solar and wind power.Bush said alternatives to petrol must also be found, outlining more research on electric batteries, hydrogen-powered cars and on engines fuelled by ethanol.”Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 per cent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025,” the president said.”By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment – move beyond a petroleum-based economy – and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.”In fact, most of the oil imported into the United States comes from outside the Middle East.Only one country in the region – Saudi Arabia – figures in the list of the country’s top five petroleum suppliers.Canada and Mexico lead the list, followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela.Those five combined account for 67 per cent of US oil imports.The US economy has largely shrugged off the impact of high oil prices, but rising petrol prices have hurt Bush’s poll ratings in a nation so wedded to the automobile.Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Bush’s “tired rhetoric on energy independence” would have been more credible if the oil industry had not helped to craft the government’s energy policy.”Democrats have been fighting for energy independence years before President Bush’s first day in office, while this administration has offered only lip service, and only when its poll numbers resemble (president Richard) Nixon’s,” Dean said.Critics say the Republican-led Congress handed billions in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil and nuclear power industries in last year’s energy bill, and note Bush’s refusal to sign up to the Kyoto pact on global warming.Public anger has been fuelled by record profits run up by the oil majors, with ExxonMobil Corp.alone booking net earnings of US$36,1 billion in 2005.Environmental lobby group Friends of the Earth accused Bush, a former oil man, of recycling “old and tired energy proposals”.-Nampa-AFP”Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world,” he said.”The best way to break this addiction is through technology.”The Department of Energy, having spent nearly US$10 billion since 2001 on alternative energy sources, will see its funding boosted by 22 per cent under the Bush initiative.”To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy,” he said.Nuclear energy has been held in mistrust by many Americans since the Three Mile Island reactor meltdown of 1979.But since the passage of a controversial energy bill in July last year, nine companies have come forward with plans to build up to 19 new reactors.The president has earmarked two billion dollars over 10 years to speed up research into clean coal.The 2007 federal budget includes US$192 million for work on exploiting solar and wind power.Bush said alternatives to petrol must also be found, outlining more research on electric batteries, hydrogen-powered cars and on engines fuelled by ethanol.”Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 per cent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025,” the president said.”By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment – move beyond a petroleum-based economy – and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.”In fact, most of the oil imported into the United States comes from outside the Middle East.Only one country in the region – Saudi Arabia – figures in the list of the country’s top five petroleum suppliers.Canada and Mexico lead the list, followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela.Those five combined account for 67 per cent of US oil imports.The US economy has largely shrugged off the impact of high oil prices, but rising petrol prices have hurt Bush’s poll ratings in a nation so wedded to the automobile.Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Bush’s “tired rhetoric on energy independence” would have been more credible if the oil industry had not helped to craft the government’s energy policy.”Democrats have been fighting for energy independence years before President Bush’s first day in office, while this administration has offered only lip service, and only when its poll numbers resemble (president Richard) Nixon’s,” Dean said.Critics say the Republican-led Congress handed billions in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil and nuclear power industries in last year’s energy bill, and note Bush’s refusal to sign up to the Kyoto pact on global warming.Public anger has been fuelled by record profits run up by the oil majors, with ExxonMobil Corp.alone booking net earnings of US$36,1 billion in 2005.Environmental lobby group Friends of the Earth accused Bush, a former oil man, of recycling “old and tired energy proposals”.-Nampa-AFP