[Marxism] "20bn barrel oil discovery puts Cuba in the big league"

[Walter Lippmann]

PAUL ILLICH wrote:
Cuba has well under one years worth in the context of global useage...
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Great for them to have it, if they resist the NWO global free market
it will give them good energy security, but let's see it in the right
perspective.
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WALTER comments:

Wouldn't it be terrible if solving its energy problem were also to
put Cuba in the big league of having energy problems as well? Yuck!

Certainly I think about what might happen if Cuba succeeds with the
oil it has announced it has found now. In Venezuela the low price of
oil has led to the unsustainable phenomenon of gasoline being today
cheaper than bottled water. It's a relief to read articles such as
the one below reporting Venezuela's steps taken to provide them with
alternatives to the gasoline-powered automobile. In the long run a
real mass transit system is the most sustainable way to resolve the
problem of transportation. When Cuba was so heavily subvented by
the Soviet Union, it survived, but didn't explore how to use its 
own native resources. It was compelled to do that when the USSR
fell and the "special period" made that unavoidable for survival.

Cuba's population is eleven million, and it's already meeting half 
its domestic needs with domestic production. Paul puts a question 
mark ("if they resist the NWO global free market") but, up to now 
Cuba has been resisting, and there's no indication that will stop.
At least, no evidence has been cited to substantiate such fears.

What's most important about THIS news that Cuba has discovered this
great potential source of energy independence is the possibility it
offers to help bring an end to the blockade, which is the greatest
single obstacle to Cuba's solving its social, economic, political
and other problems. It's the blockade which is principal thing.


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
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Venezuela's Chavez provides citizens with free natural gas vehicles
by Caroline Calais
Examiner.com
October 17,2008

Although a 12 cents a gallon price on gasoline may not persuade many
Venezuelan's of shifting to alternative fuel sources, saving petroleum and
combating environmental pollution possibly will. In a program to exchange
old gasoline consumer vehicles for free compressed natural gas (CNG) ones,
president Chavez takes one step closer to making the Bolivarian revolution
also an environmental one.

Venezuela, holding the eighth largest natural gas reserve, and being the
world's fifth largest oil exporter, is now requiring the automobile sector
to dedicate 30% of their production to natural gas vehicles, an amount that
may rise to 40% by 2010, and 50% by 2011.

And with a government decree stipulating that PDVSA, the state run
Venezuelan oil company, will pay for the acquisition, installation and
maintenance of the required gas cylinders, General Motors (GM) is now
planning to start an annual production of 40,000 natural gas vehicles

http://www.examiner.com/x-1109-Dallas-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2008m10d17-Venezuelas-Chavez-provides-citizens-with-free-natural-gas-vehicles
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ECO FRIENDLY

With Huge Oil Discovery, Cuba Will Beat United States to Energy Independence
Author photo Written by Levi Novey
Published on October 19th, 2008

http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/19/with-huge-oil-discovery-cuba-will-beat-united-states-to-energy-independence/

After revising estimates, Cuba now claims it has double the amount of
oil in its offshore reserves than previously thought. If the
estimates are accurate, Cuba would have just as much oil as the U.S.

This discovery, coupled with initiatives to develop alternative
energy projects, such a brand new biogas factory, will put Cuba on
the fast track to achieving energy independence.

If it in fact has 20 billion barrels of oil offshore, Cuba would
slingshot into the top 20 of oil producing nations worldwide. They
plan to start drilling next year for reserves located in the Gulf of
Mexico, north of Cuba. The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed
a survey in the area of discussion and arrived to an estimate far
less to that of Cuba’s. Cuba has responded by suggesting that they
have better data than the USGS, and with Cuba’s data they think the
USGS would undoubtedly agree about the size of the oil discovery
(apparently the offer to provide the data has been made).

For comparison, the United States currently is thought to have about
21 billion barrels of oil reserves.

Given the respective sizes and populations of each country, it’s 
easy to understand why Cuba will reach energy independence far more
quickly than the United States (at least as long as there is oil in
the world). Cuba currently produces about 60,000 barrels of oil per
day. It buys an additional 93,000 a day from Venezuela at a reduced
price to help meet its energy needs (they provide doctors for
Venezuela in exchange as well as sports instructors).

But Cuba’s quest for energy independence is not succeeding simply
because of luck and oil. They also are taking important steps such as
banning incandescent light bulbs and investing in new alternative
energy technology. For instance, a new biogas plant will help provide
energy and electricity by processing organic waste. Construction of
the plant was recently completed. It is located at a garbage dump in
Havana that processes 60% of the capital’s waste. The United Nations’
divison of Industrial Development provided assistance with the
project and Switzerland’s Government provided financial support.

What About the Embargo?

So the big question is whether or not Cuba’s oil discovery will put
added pressure on the United States to lift its embargo on Cuba. With
the possibility of having another significant oil supplier, what do
you think the United States should do?


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     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un Paraíso bajo el bloqueo"
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