President Bush said that he wants to "reduce American dependence on imports to meet the continuing demand for oil and gas," but does that mean this is the actual reason that he has opened up more land for drilling, as the Post tells us today? If we open more land for drilling, in addition to the environmental risks, we will more rapidly deplete U.S. reserves of oil and gas. If the Bush administration is really concerned about protecting the country's energy security, it would probably make more sense to conserve the oil and gas inside the country, rather than drill it out at a time when foreign supplies are readily available. There is no obvious gain to the country by having a modest reduction in imports during the current period (except for protectionists). An alternative explanation is that President Bush wants to help out oil and gas companies who have contributed generously to his campaigns as well as the campaigns of other Republicans. That explanation may not be right, but it is at least as plausible as the explanation that the Post gave readers.
--Dean Baker
