The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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F EBRUARY VOL . 7 7 NO. 0 2 EDI TO R' S NO T E EDITORIAL STAF F Editorial Office 1030 W. Higgins Road Suite 230 Park Ridge, IL 60068 847/720-5600 Madness Keith Reid was not entirely unexpected. Apparently among his base the environmental lobby was seen as being more important than the unions at this point in the campaign season. And, of course, it's part of the current president's history of deep dis- dain for fossil fuels. A lot of people like renewable fuels and alternative energy options, even those in the fossil fuel business. Heating oil marketers have no problem selling biofuel blended product to their customers if the business model works. The same can be said for motor fuels marketers. But as an industry we realize (and frankly anybody else pay- ing attention to the numbers) that we're going to be in the fossil fuel business for an awful long time to come. There simply is no alternative energy that could come close to replacing the volume of fossil fuels we use as a developed nation. That is what is so frustrating. Even presi- P dent Obama has made public statements acknowledging that there is no ready-to-roll substitute nor will there be in the near future. But, this action indicates that he is unwilling to take whatever political risk is involved with educating his greenest supporters of this basic, mathematical reality. To them, fossil fuels are not the miracle that lifted common folk from living a short, hard life in squalor, but an evil defiler of Mother Gaia. And the worst part about it is that it is all for nothing from an environmental stand- point—a feel-good gesture at best. Most of the real environmental concerns lie in Canada. The pipeline aspect is well estab- lished, well regulated and a highly safe part of the distribution infrastructure. Canada 8 RESIDENT OBAMA'S RECENT announcement that he is putting a hold on the Keystone XL pipeline accepts the risks involved and will produce the oil-laden bitumen, ship it to where it makes the most sense and it will be refined and turned into usable fuel that will be burned. So why not have that production happen at U.S. refineries where it helps add and save U.S. jobs? Even the Washington Post editorial board, which can be readily counted on to strongly support left-leaning policy, finds this decision to be a mistake. In the big picture, the new supply that is brought online probably won't dramati- cally or specifically lower U.S oil prices. Oil is a global commodity and much of the product will likely be exported. The new supply will help stabilize global mar- kets though and take some of the leverage away from OPEC and likely support at least somewhat lower global prices. But more importantly there will be jobs, not just building the pipeline but at the refin- eries that will process the bitumen into refined product and in the communities that support the refineries. Actor Robert Redford, whose personal carbon foot- print likely matches that of a small town, has hypocritically came out in praise of the administration's decision. But then Redford doesn't much have to worry about finding a job these days. The only way this makes sense as is as a purely political ploy to delay the pipeline up through the election with a swift turn- around afterward—basically duping environmentalists until their votes are cast. But that's taking one heck of a risk that the Chinese simply won't make the Canadians an offer they cannot refuse. They did in Iraq when politicians that objected to the war started throwing up roadblocks to U.S. oil companies. It can very well happen again. l FON FEBRUARY 2012 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com Editor Keith Reid 847/720-5615 kreid@m2media360.com Managing Editor Debra Reschke Schug 847/720-5618 dschug@m2media360.com Columnists Charles Bursey, Sr. John Griffin George Lanthier EXECUTIVE STAF F President/CEO and Group Publisher Marion Minor List Rentals/ Reprints – Cheryl Naughton 678/292-6054 Fax: 360/294-6054 cnaughton@m2media360.com PRODUCT ION Production Manager – Mary Jo Tomei Art Director – Andrew Stamm ADVERTISING SALES East – Dave Campbell, Associate Publisher 413/528-2364 Fax: 413/528-8835 dcampbell@m2media360.com Central & South – Rich Alden 603/899-3010 Fax: 603/899-2343 ralden@m2media360.com West – Ken Jordan 972/540-2122 Fax: 972/540-2127 kjordan@m2media360.com MAIN OF F ICE 1030 W. Higgins Road Suite 230 Park Ridge, IL 60068 847/720-5600 • Fax: 847-720-5601 CUSTOMER SERVICE 845/856-2229 • Fax: 845/856-5822 Fuel Oil News P.O. Box 4290, Port Jervis, NJ 12771 M2MEDIA360 Membership applied for 7/1/2010 BEV-AL COMMUNICAT IONS INC. Marion Minor Gerald Winkel President/CEO Director of Finance Joanne Juda-Prainito Mary Jo Tomei VP Audience Develolpment Production Director