Graphic Of The Day: Cumulative Non-OPEC Oil Production Changes - 2003 To 2007

Can you say a bit more about what you think this means?
== author's response follows ===
None of the named non-OPEC countries with big production increases are traditional allies of the USA.

Relationship presently seems not good with Russia. Could change with a new US President???

Canadian tar sands are an environmental travesty.

There is no easy way out by drilling offshore from the US.

That leaves conservation battery powered vehicles & hybrid propulsion as solutions for transit, with hydrogen fuel cells as a niche application to follow.

The future will be very different than the immediate and near term past.

Funny how it says something different to different people. To me, it shows that with the money from subsidies, tax incentives and grants meant to go for research, development, new technologies and infrastructure here to help us gain energy independence, the oil companies instead chose to develop in foreign countries where labor and production is cheaper, permitting and regulations are cheaper and where our money isn't recycled back into our economy.

"None of the named non-OPEC countries with big production increases are traditional allies of the USA."

Canada is not only the biggest trading partner of the US, but it's also one of its traditional allies. Between the US and Canada lies the longest unguarded border in the world. Americans have only recently begun requiring passports of Canadian citizens entering their country. And while the two countries may disagree on Iraq, and while we may have disagreed on Vietnam in the past, it is difficult to imagine anyone--certain insane Fox News hosts excluded--thinking that these two Nato nations are not traditional allies.

It's not that the graph isn't making a valid point. It highlights the political instability and danger caused by the US dependence on oil. It's just that this is a pretty glaring error in fact.

John from Canukistan