EDITOR:As a former Yooper, I was raised by simple and hard truths, and lived by them. We are spending a year in a swing state, and one of the "joys" of moving back includes seeing political advertisements that expose us to all kinds of statements that are pure fiction.

On the issue of oil and energy, the distortion on the part of Republicans is stunning. I'm a geologist. I know oil and gas. I've found new reserves in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, in both offshore and onshore settings; worked on oil and gas projects aimed at increasing production; and teach short courses for industry professionals. The Republican presidential and congressional advertisements are filled with misstatements, and, to be polite, fallacies. These efforts to get votes from workers who are desperate for a break at the gas pump just don't hold up to real study.

Here are some real facts.

1. We do not have lots of oil in the U.S. We have between 20 to 29 billion barrels of oil. Global reserve estimates range from 1,143 to 1,331 billion barrels. The proven U.S. reserves (onshore and proven offshore) are about two percent of the global total. Imagine that the world resources are equivalent to a one-liter soda bottle. The U.S. share? About one tablespoon.

2. Offshore reserves will not save us. The outer continental shelf might hold about another 86 billion barrels of crude. This estimate is based on very little data. The only region where we have a decent sense of reserves is California (10 billion). Any bill to allow OCS drilling requires state permission. The California legislature and the Republican governor both oppose offshore drilling. A parallel to this fallacy is that we can start drilling the OCS right now. Except for California and some parts of Florida, where industry data may be good enough to propose some targets, it would take 5-10 years of very high-risk exploration before drilling might occur.

3. The U.S. cannot become "energy independent." This term, used by Republicans and Democrats, is nonsense. We import 60-70 percent of our crude oil because U.S. reserves are in decline. We import uranium because we don't have the resources. We import oil, natural gas and electricity from Canada, oil from Mexico. We cannot rely strictly on our own resources; we will continue to need oil and gas from other countries. We cannot drill our way to "energy independence."

Spreading our energy dependence, increasing our supplies, and reducing our CO2 output can only occur through a realistic, long-term, and honest energy policy - with OCS drilling, development of new, non oil/gas based technologies and conservation. The energy crisis in America is not going to be solved overnight, and it is not going to be solved by politicians with empty slogans trying to get elected.

It is going to get solved by real people, with real jobs, working hard. It will be a long, tough, hard effort, and will not be solved by "drill here, drill now" chants.

James Evans

Iron River