5 Myths About Breaking Our Foreign Oil Habit

When we burn oil (or the gasoline that comes from it) we are producing CO2, which has been linked to global warming. But we also, according to some, are supporting terrorists:

In a speech last year, former CIA director R. James Woolsey Jr. had some advice for American motorists: "The next time you pull into a gas station to fill your car with gas, bend down a little and take a glance in the side-door mirror. . . . What you will see is a contributor to terrorism against the United States." Woolsey is known as a conservative, but plenty of liberals have also eagerly adopted the mantra that America's foreign oil purchases are funding terrorism.

But the hype doesn't match reality. Remember, the two largest suppliers of crude to the U.S. market are Canada and Mexico -- neither exactly known as a belligerent terrorist haven.

Robert Bryce is a fellow at the Institute for Energy Research. Read about his views on energy independence here. Just a few things to keep in mind, while we hear more hype on the subject from the candidates this election year. Reason has a good interview with him here.