“Terror-free oil”–what it really means

Well, hey howdy. There’s a new face on the gasoline scene:

Oh my, aren’t they patriotic. Just look at that logo! Not a bit subtle. What could be more “American” than cashing in wherever you can, even on tragedy?

Unfortunately, this is just another way of profiting from the gullibility of the “patriotic” sheeple–the same ones who stick made-in-China yellow ribbon magnets on their SUVs and call that “supporting the troops”. It’s a slick scam, and here’s why:

First of all, the “education” they’re pushing, isn’t. It’s obfuscation. The idea of “energy independence” for the US is a pipe dream (pun intended), no matter whether the fuel is oil or something else, like ethanol (another much boosted non-starter, sadly). The country is, and long has been, and always will be, a net importer of fuels. The fact that even this “all-American” company relies on imported oil, not 100% domestic production, should tell you something.

Oh sure, it’s touted as “terror-free” because it’s supposedly not from the Middle East…but the truth is, you don’t know where that oil really came from. The company itself doesn’t know. It’s the nature of the market, you see:

Claiming U.S. dollars used to purchase gasoline made from Middle East oil funds terrorism, a group called the Terror-Free Oil Initiative plans to open the country’s first “terror-free” gas station.

Well, that’s the goal anyway. The Coral Springs, Fla.-based group plans to open its first station Thursday in west Omaha, seeking to sell only gas that originates from countries that do not support terrorism and from oil companies that don’t do business in the Middle East.

Sinclair Oil Corp., which operates truck stops and gas stations throughout the Midwest and the West, will be the initial supplier, said Terror-Free Oil spokesman Joe Kaufman.

Dalton Kehlbeck, a regional manager for Salt Lake City-based Sinclair, said most of the company’s oil comes from the United States or Canada, but some is bought on the New York Mercantile Exchange, where oil from all over the world is traded.

“It’s a basket of crude oil,” he said of the exchange oil. “We cannot be sure where the conglomeration of the product comes from.”

The same is true of most oil products sold in the United States.

According to the Energy Information Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, oil refineries often mix oil from different sources and companies during refinement and shipping.

The United States imported an average of 2.3 million barrels of oil a day from the Persian Gulf region in 2005, according to the administration. That accounted for about nine per cent of U.S. consumption.

Nine per cent? Yow, talk about using a sledgehammer to swat mosquitos.

Of course, the whole War on Terra could be characterized as such. And while that sledgehammer is being swung wildly and at random, the no-see-um bugs must all be laughing their guts out. Anyone who’s been paying attention will already know how much more terrorism there has been since BushCo declared “war” on it; in fact, much of it has been a direct response to the war.

The fact that Freeperville has already embraced this campaign is another compelling anti-endorsement. Much as TFOI claims it wants to spur a “healthy debate” on energy, the true nature of the “debate” is suspiciously one-sided. The TFOI blog links to such far-right luminaries as Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, the Little Green Fascists, and other BushCo-boosters. Who wants to buy oil from someone plugging them–especially since they incessantly whore for those who have shown themselves manifestly incapable of protecting their country from terrorism? Their policies are pro-terror, not anti.

But wait, you may say–isn’t it a good idea to make sure that filling up your gas guzzler isn’t fueling Osama? And isn’t this company a step in that direction?

To the first question, the answer is yes. To the second, unfortunately…no. Better to give up the SUV (yellow ribbon and all) and embrace the economy car, the hybrid car, the fuel-cell car, and most importantly, the carpool. When you ride alone, you ride with Osama–even if you just tanked up at a station with the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Flight 93 on its sign.

Want to make even more of a real difference? Then go to CITGO, which the “terror free oil” site unfairly maligns–no doubt because their oil comes from Venezuela. At least then, you’d be getting your fuel from someplace in the Americas whose leader is truly opposed to terrorism–albeit probably not the kind that these people want you to get all worked up about. And you’re also helping people living in poverty, both in the US and elsewhere. That’s another powerful and proven anti-terror measure.

Bottom line: you don’t know where your oil is coming from if it’s traded on the open market, so the “terror-free” label is ultimately meaningless.