American Prosperity
Canadian Oil Sands not only helps fuel Nebraska agriculture — it helps fuel American prosperity.
A safe, reliable energy supply provides economic stability, heats our homes, fuels our cars, and runs our factories and businesses. In addition, the American energy industry creates jobs, funds schools, saves lives, helps us to communicate and, yes, even develops new forms of clean energy.
The oil and natural gas industry alone currently supports jobs for over 9.2 million Americans, and has the opportunity to provide hundreds of thousands of new jobs with increased access to domestic supplies and increased supplies from sources such as the Canadian oil sands.
The industry also currently pays more than its fair share in taxes, having paid over $1 trillion in total income taxes from 1980 to 2008. The industry has also paid more than $178 billion to the government in rent, royalty and bonus payments from 1982 through 2009. These revenues go to fund schools, roads, parks and other services for Americans.
What about the uses of oil and natural gas? In addition to the 255 million vehicles on the road; 12 million recreational boats; and over 200,000 aircraft, oil and natural gas serve as inputs to thousands of products that we use on a daily basis. Following is a short list of products whose foundation begins with oil and natural gas:
- Computers
- Plastics
- Phones
- Basketballs
- Toothpaste
- Makeup
- Baby car seats
- Crayons
- Golf balls
Finally, the oil and natural gas industry recognizes the need to protect our environment and invests significant time and money. The industry is researching, developing and marketing alternative and renewable sources of energy, including solar, geothermal, biofuels, fuel cells, hydrogen power and wind energy. Since 1990, the industry has put more than $175 billion toward improving its own environmental performance. And in the last decade, from 2000-2008, the industry invested $58 billion in new low and zero-emissions technologies -- more than either the federal government and all other U.S.-based private industries combined.
The industry recognizes that it needs to do more, and continues to work with government, citizens and industry groups to improve operations, technology and standards to effectively access and develop the energy that fuels our economy.
Read more:
