<snip>
Three years of volatility in global and domestic oil prices also have reminded us of the critical strategic as well as economic implications of our oil dependence. Unfortunately, the debate to date has focused primarily on America's dependence on foreign oil. This has led to specious calls for "energy independence" that miss the point about what that concept really means, as best exemplified by the dead-end debate over drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The real issue that we must address is the need to diminish the role of oil -- regardless of its origin -- in our economy. Whether we secure it from any corner of the globe market or from every nook and cranny of the United States, oil will continue to be a strategic and economic liability until we reduce our need for it. Instead of trying to address our oil dependence primarily by expanding supply, we must achieve a better balance of increasing the efficiency with which we consume oil while maintaining our supply base.
<snip>
<snip>
Although our long-term energy needs are likely to increase as our economy grows, our dependence on oil need not. To simultaneously achieve our economic and energy security goals, we need a suite of new and enhanced policies to: increase and encourage oil use efficiency and conservation; invest in technologies that offer alternatives to oil; support environmentally responsible domestic production; and encourage diversification of international productive capacity.
<snip>
http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=116&subsecID=155&contentID=250158