U.S. can’t afford to curb oil production

Michael K. Casler, Las Vegas

Thursday, April 28, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

America has restricted both oil production and refinery capacity for many years now. It is going to be many years before America will be able to switch from an oil-based economy. China and many other parts of the world are moving toward a modern economy and, as they do, they are using more and more oil. Because nearly all oil being produced will be purchased and used somewhere, it seems to make little sense for America to restrict its production of oil.

Whether you believe in global warming or not, the world will continue to produce huge amounts of oil for many years and that oil will be used by many countries to run their economies. America will also use oil for many years in our own economy, so if developing our own oil supplies would create jobs and help us have more control of the supply and cost of oil and gasoline, it seems to make little sense not to develop what we have.