Bill Weir: Trump’s Vision of Energy Independence Is a Myth that ‘Moves Us Closer to a Climate Crisis’

BERMAN New CNN reporting ░░░░░░░░ morning shows a problem ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s vision ░░░░░░░░ energy independence According to ░░░░░░░░ president unleashing U S ░░░░░░░░ would reduce gas prices ░░░░░░░░ America s cost of ░░░░░░░░ and increase the nation ░░░░░░░░ energy independence CNN Chief ░░░░░░░░ Correspondent Bill Weir is ░░░░░░░░ And the issue as ░░░░░░░░ report is drilling for ░░░░░░░░ exactly WEIR Yeah have ░░░░░░░░ noticed the president leaves ░░░░░░░░ out sometimes when he ░░░░░░░░ these grand statements about ░░░░░░░░ we could just get ░░░░░░░░ of all the foreign ░░░░░░░░ that comes from Canada ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia these places ░░░░░░░░ huge problem not all ░░░░░░░░ is created equally Let ░░░░░░░░ talk about the basics ░░░░░░░░ s everything from sweet ░░░░░░░░ crude which is like ░░░░░░░░ champagne of oil down ░░░░░░░░ heavy sour which is ░░░░░░░░ like wet coffee grounds ░░░░░░░░ This stuff is light ░░░░░░░░ easier to process and ░░░░░░░░ U S pumps a ░░░░░░░░ of it We use ░░░░░░░░ to export and it ░░░░░░░░ into kerosene and gasoline ░░░░░░░░ problem is the country ░░░░░░░░ built on sticky coffee ░░░░░░░░ over the years And ░░░░░░░░ our U S refineries ░░░░░░░░ set up to process ░░░░░░░░ heavy dense stuff the ░░░░░░░░ s tar sands The ░░░░░░░░ is in the name ░░░░░░░░ looks like sandy tar ░░░░░░░░ it is processed this ░░░░░░░░ Meanwhile along the Gulf ░░░░░░░░ Mexico a lot of ░░░░░░░░ refineries can deal with ░░░░░░░░ of the lighter champagne ░░░░░░░░ And here s the ░░░░░░░░ problem John We produce ░░░░░░░░ lot more champagne than ░░░░░░░░ grounds exporting about 13 ░░░░░░░░ barrels a day of ░░░░░░░░ light sweet stuff while ░░░░░░░░ about half that much ░░░░░░░░ these other countries So ░░░░░░░░ the idea that we ░░░░░░░░ shut off imports from ░░░░░░░░ and not feel the ░░░░░░░░ it would completely upend ░░░░░░░░ refinery system and would ░░░░░░░░ gas prices through the ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN It s just ░░░░░░░░ what we re built ░░░░░░░░ WEIR Exactly Exactly BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure s not here ░░░░░░░░ how do the oil ░░░░░░░░ feel about these calls ░░░░░░░░ drill drill drill more ░░░░░░░░ they feel like they ░░░░░░░░ WEIR Well it all ░░░░░░░░ down to economics The ░░░░░░░░ of a barrel of ░░░░░░░░ the projections you know ░░░░░░░░ takes 10 years sometimes ░░░░░░░░ get a well operating ░░░░░░░░ so they re looking ░░░░░░░░ at China where almost ░░░░░░░░ of the new cars ░░░░░░░░ are electric They re ░░░░░░░░ at oil demands around ░░░░░░░░ world how they might ░░░░░░░░ Petrochemicals plastics all of ░░░░░░░░ calculations are going into ░░░░░░░░ they do this So ░░░░░░░░ s not a huge ░░░░░░░░ There s not sort ░░░░░░░░ you know he was ░░░░░░░░ these oil CEOs were ░░░░░░░░ complete carte blanche deregulation ░░░░░░░░ they re not exactly ░░░░░░░░ at the bit to ░░░░░░░░ new wells BERMAN And ░░░░░░░░ re talking about wells ░░░░░░░░ re not talking about ░░░░░░░░ or are we talking ░░░░░░░░ both WEIR Shale oil ░░░░░░░░ fracking boom has led ░░░░░░░░ a massive spike in ░░░░░░░░ gas which is a ░░░░░░░░ kind of fuel of ░░░░░░░░ and a lot more ░░░░░░░░ the sweet light champagne ░░░░░░░░ comes out of those ░░░░░░░░ wells BERMAN All right ░░░░░░░░ ve made me thirsty ░░░░░░░░ Bill Weir thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for all WEIR ░░░░░░░░ no I have to ░░░░░░░░ that every barrel of ░░░░░░░░ stuff that gets pumps ░░░░░░░░ burns moves us closer ░░░░░░░░ a climate crisis And ░░░░░░░░ alternatives now are cheaper ░░░░░░░░ the petrochemicals So something ░░░░░░░░ keep in mind BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ there s that too ░░░░░░░░ addition to everything else ░░░░░░░░ Weir thank you very ░░░░░░░░ WEIR: “You bet.”