Myer criticizes U.S. energy policy for not making sense

The Michael Myer column,"U.S. Energy Policy Makes No Sense," begins by taking us back 40 years:

More than one-fourth of the oil we use in this country comes from other nations. We import nearly twice as much as we did in 1973-74, when the Arab oil embargo caused chaos in the economy.

If you didn't live through it, you'll just have to trust me: It was very bad. I still remember then-President Jimmy Carter advising us to turn down our thermostats, put on sweaters and unplug the outdoor Christmas lights.

Sorry, Michael discerning readers will not trust you: Richard Nixon was president in 1973-74 and Jimmy Carter didn't take office until 1977 and his "unplug the outdoor Christmas lights" speech wasn't until 1979. (Myer never misses a chance to knock a Democrat - even if he wasn't in office.)

Eventually the column gets to a point:

Now, cheap oil on a long-term basis is available from our friends the Canadians. We won't be getting that soon, because President Obama keeps blocking the Keystone XL pipeline.

Here we go again. I've written about this a number of times. (See here, for instance.) As critics have argued: Keystone is not meant for our use - if it were, the pipeline would end somewhere in the middle of the country to aid distribution. Instead it goes to New Orleans where it will be shipped overseas. Additionally, it won't lower gas prices and it will create very few permanent jobs. Most importantly, it's an ecological nightmare waiting to happen.

And finally:

Oh, and did I mention the White House's insane war on coal - which may send electric bills for tens of millions of Americans up by as much as $1,000 a year?

No, you hadn't but we knew it was coming - no energy column is complete until it mentions that bogus evidence.