While the United States cannot reasonably expect to have 7.4% GDP growth or 3.2% unemployment, it can reasonably expect to gain some of the same benefits, on a national scale, that North Dakota does locally.

So we are left with a vivid understanding: Multinational oil corporations cannot be properly held accountable, and, if left unchecked, they are capable of strongly influencing United States foreign policy and policies on energy and climate change in ways that are inconsistent with government’s ultimate goal of promoting the well-being of the American people.

A new student group has emerged out of the ashes of Columbia’s once vibrant environmental movement: Barnard Columbia Divest.

But regardless of whether it is openly discussed or not, as long as the world’s economy runs on oil, as it seems will be the case for at least the next few decades, Middle Eastern conflicts will continue to have a disproportionate impact on the global economy.

Does $3.83 for a gallon of regular unleaded “threaten the U.S. economy” in the way Katrina or international wars did? Absolutely not. But due to inappropriate blaming or not, does the president know that it threatens his reelection chances? You bet.

So long as the United States is dependent on oil as an energy source, it only makes sense to transition towards more domestic oil before finally moving past nonrenewable fossil fuels to fully renewable sources of energy.