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Former Shell Oil President John Hofmeister on the political agenda surrounding energy and why consumer education is important.
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All right Nicole thanks so much since Chevron's refinery just ten miles northeast of San Francisco is back have been running after huge fire broke out last night.
The blaze burned for hours but was finally put out earlier today hundreds of people went to area hospitals -- breathing problems of the bigger concern.
Well is that this refinery makes up 18 -- California's capacity has not actually at the bigger concern human health this most is the biggest concern but we are worried about energy.
This is just the latest in a string of refinery outages across the country my next guest says that better than anyone else what kind of impact it happened prices joining me now is John pop Meister.
Former Shell Oil president Bob John thanks for joining us.
Melissa I'm glad to be here the good news is nobody died right nobody was heart hurt badly.
So I think that's an important partnering RAM -- -- and and we want to make that point but this drug crises.
The other issue on prices -- real.
You know this nation lives on -- razors edge when it comes to the redundancy.
Of the whole gasoline system.
Whether it's crude oil supply whether it's finished product supply there has been so much political opposition.
To expanding the hydrocarbon based in this country that we live every day on the -- last week Chicago land.
-- because of a pipeline issue -- a refinery issue 35 cents a gallon increase in Chicago land last week.
Which you in California will city -- the other side would be watching this is the same time -- say.
You know look at the potential health crisis here look at how prices in California -- 25 cents overnight this is an argument.
For electric vehicles this is an argument for not using fossil fuel what would you -- about.
Yes if we could come up with a plan that over -- point 830 year period enabled that to occur.
And that politicians didn't rush out at like its tomorrow's answer it's not gonna be tomorrow's answer.
It's an answer by 20302035.
I had no hang up with go and in that direction.
But what about 2013 20142015.
You can't flip -- switch on these things.
And we've had such little political support.
For taking care of our needs I mean -- headlines today we're gonna accelerate.
Environmental reviews.
For.
Solar and wind projects out west.
But where's the same accelerated reviews.
To meet consumers' everyday pocket -- needs for the gasoline they have to purchase it -- politicized energy to the point.
That we are depriving ourselves of economic strength by virtue of taxing Americans with an invisible tax -- high gasoline prices.
Without question but it it seems like having one -- needs camp has gotten us to this point where we are making best use of the current fossil fuel that we have at the same time we're spending money.
On trying to meet our future energy needs maybe with cleaner energy.
How do you focus on today's energy in fossil fuel but still make sure there's enough research.
That there are other alternatives down the road if we decide that's the way we want ago.
That's a fundamentally important question and I've committed myself in this turn of my career to educating consumers about reality.
I don't trust politicians on either side of the political spectrum.
To treat consumers with the dignity and respect they deserve by providing them accurate.
Quantifiable.
And real information because there's -- too much of a political agenda.
And that political agenda is all related to the next election and how they can win or retain power it's about power.
And it's also about special interest money what consumers need to know is what -- the basic facts what's the reality.
The notion that we're running out of oil is simply untrue.
And and yet we have politicians out there saying.
-- and the president included well we only had 2% of the world's oil we can't drill our way out of the problem we have.
That's a nonsense statement by a very intelligent man but consumers need to know how this honesty is being.
To the American people about the facts that -- supposedly talking about eight and so I think consumer education is really the answer at this point absolutely very fired up John -- -- -- thanks for joining us today.
