{"id":1358129,"date":"2022-03-04T08:18:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1358129"},"modified":"2022-03-04T08:23:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:23:00","slug":"are-we-nuts-american-energy-is-key-to-undermining-putins-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-we-nuts-american-energy-is-key-to-undermining-putins-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Are We Nuts? American Energy Is Key to Undermining Putin\u2019s War"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fare-we-nuts-american-energy-is-key-to-undermining-putins-war%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1358129&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/2022.03.03-06.05-thepoliticalinsider-62210365bd07f.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p><em>By Gene Yaw for RealClearEnergy<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s bloody and unhinged campaign to topple a democratic nation once subjugated by the former Soviet Union has resurrected the threat of global conflict from its deep, dark Cold War-era grave.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to paint the invasion of Ukraine as the delusions of a narcissistic despot desperate to cement his legacy as the man who muscled Russia\u2019s way back to the top of the world superpower list. In doing so, we ignore the uncomfortable truth: Putin spent years bolstering Russia\u2019s economy with oil and gas exports, knowing full well the West\u2019s race to renewables left them vulnerable and dependent.<\/p>\n<p>As a natural consequence, any imposed sanctions meant to cripple Russia\u2019s energy sector will reverberate across the globe, cutting countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the deepest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepoliticalinsider.com\/rep-jim-jordan-says-biden-and-the-radical-left-wants-to-push-gas-to-8-a-gallon\/?utm_source=home-featured\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rep. Jim Jordan Says \u2018Radical Left\u2019 Won\u2019t Let Biden Reverse \u2018Crazy\u2019 Energy Policies<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is what I, and many others, mean when we say energy independence is a matter of national security. And this is why short-sighted climate policies \u2013 like forcing Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and cancelling natural gas and oil infrastructure, the Keystone XL pipeline chief among them \u2013 are so very dangerous. People across the world, not just in Ukraine, will die from the leverage Russia holds over global energy exports.<\/p>\n<p>How much control does Russia have, exactly? The EU is the largest importer of natural gas in the world and 53% of their supply came from Russia in 2020 alone. In the United States, about 11% of our crude oil imports came from Russia last year \u2013 a smaller, albeit significant chunk that will cause financial pain stateside as the war against Ukraine escalates.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some analysts believe crude oil prices may reach $150 per barrel this summer, up from roughly $50 just two years ago when American energy policy prioritized independence.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump, love him or hate him, cautioned western Europe about the risks of relying on Russian natural gas. Germany ignored those warnings and closed much of its nuclear and coal generation facilities in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, Germany now finds itself in a very serious dilemma of failing to recognize the importance of natural gas in its decisions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"subscribe\" class=\"email-signup inarticle\">\n<h4>Support Conservative Voices!<\/h4>\n<h5><strong>Sign up to receive the latest<\/strong> political news, insight, and commentary delivered directly to your inbox.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>Germany isn\u2019t alone in its shortsightedness. Democratic leaders in western nations, acting on behalf of wealthy green energy donors, fail to see the big picture time and time again. It doesn\u2019t matter how many countries signed the Paris Climate Agreement if all of them also allow China to ramp up its emissions over the next decade.<\/p>\n<p>Pollution knows no borders. Renewable energy accounts for less than one third of global energy supply and remains notoriously unreliable. That\u2019s why, in addition to fueling the EU, Russia made a lucrative deal to supply China with 100 million tons of coal.<\/p>\n<p>We can attack Putin\u2019s assets and Russia\u2019s banks all we want, but so long as he\u2019s cornered a sector of the energy market, his imperialist ambitions will not subside.<\/p>\n<p>But all is not lost. The United States can change course. We can ramp up energy production with the same urgency we experienced when manufacturers pivoted to make masks and ventilators at the onset of the pandemic. We can ease Biden-era policies meant to restrict oil and gas production and exports. We can greenlight Keystone and other pipelines. And we can unleash our plentiful gas supply right here in Pennsylvania to help with that mammoth effort.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepoliticalinsider.com\/hawley-rips-biden-for-siding-with-environmentalist-wackos-over-energy-independence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hawley Rips Biden For Siding With \u2018Environmentalist Wackos\u2019 Over Energy Independence<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania, according to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/state\/print.php?sid=PA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\">Energy Information Administration<\/a>, remains number two in natural gas production nationwide and became the largest supplier of electricity in the United States in 2020. In Pennsylvania alone, more than half of households use natural gas to stay warm. Our 49 underground storage sites also remain key to meeting regional demand in winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why Gov. Tom Wolf must abandon policies meant to hamstring the industry, like his devotion to RGGI or his alignment with New York on halting infrastructure that could supply New England with cleaner, cheaper Pennsylvania natural gas instead of \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 Russia\u2019s inferior product.<\/p>\n<p>But Wolf isn\u2019t the only one standing in the way. Our country still bans liquified natural gas (LNG) cargo ships from delivering between domestic ports unless registered in the United States. Of the more than 400 existing LNG carriers, none fly the U.S. flag.<\/p>\n<p>This law, known as the Jones Act, was enacted in 1920 and leaves us entirely dependent on foreign transports to deliver LNG when pipelines aren\u2019t feasible. The same law prevented production facilities in the southern U.S. from delivering to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Think of how much the world has changed in a century, let alone from just a year or two ago. Where is the logic in buying from a hostile nation instead of adopting policies that make it easier to use what we produce ourselves? Is there any recognition of the common good \u2013 or are we just nuts?<\/p>\n<p>Russia has now weaponized its natural gas supply and soon it will squeeze ancillary industries like fertilizer manufacturing and ultimately, food production. If you control the food supply, you control the people. It\u2019s a brutal tactic Russian dictators of decades past know all too well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepoliticalinsider.com\/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-renews-pennsylvania-lawmakers-keystone-pipeline-calls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Russia\u2019s Invasion Of Ukraine Renews Pennsylvania Lawmakers\u2019 Keystone Pipeline Calls<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our elected officials must set aside their allegiance to green energy lobbyists and turn up gas production so that we can crush Putin\u2019s war machine without setting a single foot on foreign soil. As a nation that prides itself on its staunch defense of liberty, we must not undermine Ukraine\u2019s fight for freedom by bankrolling their aggressor. And natural gas is the most valuable commodity Russia has \u2013 for now.<\/p>\n<p><em>Syndicated with permission from Real Clear Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Senator Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District consisting of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union counties and a portion of Susquehanna County. He serves as chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">The opinions expressed by contributors and\/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Political Insider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Gene Yaw for RealClearEnergy Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s bloody and unhinged campaign to topple a democratic nation once subjugated by the former Soviet Union has resurrected the threat of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1358129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1358129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1358129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1358129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1358129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1358129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1358129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}