AZ CRD wrote:
I understand that GTL diesel is a real process and an alternative to distilled liquid petroleum. Shell was building some sort of GTL conversion facility in Qatar or some other s***hole in the Middle East at some point. Don't know at what price of oil the economics of GTL work out. My suspicion is that Big Oil and American auto manufacturers have colluded to involve the EPA in a program to limit the possibility of serious competition from European diesel passenger cars/trucks in the US market and it wouldn't matter what the real economics or environmental benefits are from GTL or other alternative diesel fuels. Throw in the subsidized Midwestern corn producers who love ethanol and the fact that some backwards hick state like Iowa gets a disproportionate say in presidential politics and the picture turns even uglier.
Your tinfoil is showing...
The problem is, you are most likely right, and I believe much of what you suggest as well. Our wonderful civic-minded fruitbats at Exxon want everyone to think warm fuzzy thoughts about them, not focus on their huge profits. As they even said (I'll look for the link) "when oil prices are high... Oil profits rise" and "we buy oil to refine on the open market" which is correct. In the next breath however, they AGAIN advocate opening MORE land to oil drilling in this country. They ALREADY HAVE thousands of acres that they aren't developing... And what difference does it make when every DROP that gets pulled, NO MATTER FROM WHERE... Goes into the "open market" that is CONTROLLED BY OPEC!
We could never drill enough domestically to supply our own needs. But assuming for just a second that we could (or that the Canadian Oil Sands are NOT being piped to HOUSTON to be loaded onto ships heading to EUROPE)... The concept of buying the product on the open market ELIMINATES any chance of more domestic drilling from solving the problem!
We are being OPENLY LIED TO by the oil companies, and it amazes me that people can't see it for what it is.
edit: Here's the link I was talking about, from Exxon's earnings report:
http://www.exxonmobilperspectives.com/2011/04/28/exxonmobil-earnings-the-real-story-you-wont-hear-in-washington/