The Effect Of 1973 Oil Embargo On The United States

During 1973-1974, with the dwindling of oil resources Americans were faced with the possibility of running out of oil. The Oil Embargo implemented by Arab members of The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries denied exporting oil to the states that supported Israel during the Arab-Israeli War. My questions about this event are how did this oil embargo change The United States and what did they do to adjust to all these changes? First the US had to figure out a new place they could get their oil from, they had to create new energy conservation movements and find new ways to create energy, and then finally they had to change how they looked at international business.

On April 29, 1974, the New York Times ran an article titled “For Gasoline, Little Is Certain But High Prices,” which began with an 18-year-old nursing student from Westchester, NY panicking at the long line in front of the gas station just to get the fuel to commute for class. “Miss Galgano…had been trying since 7 A.M. to get enough fuel.” The dire yet cruel reality of a shortage meant that gas stations had to close down “four lines on [her],” along with millions of other Americans waiting on line for hours. The piece was a vividly jarring depiction of the first ever oil supply shortage since the end of the war. The shortage was blamed on the embargo the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) initiated in 1973, when President

In our society, oil is one of the core requirements. Whether it is to drive from a point A to a point B or to fly between distant countries, oil always had a fundamental impact on our civilization. Its impact is felt, on a daily basis and under many aspects. Not a day goes by without hearing about the Brent's changing undulation, on the markets in New York or London. Some have thought that the desire to gain control of Iran's oil resources was the core of the CIA's intervention in that country, in the 1950s. In recent years, it was considered, by left-wing groups, that the war in Iraq was based upon an attempt of foreign control over the Iraqi petroleum resources. Even though both events have an unquestioned place

In 1973, an oil crisis began when the members of the OAPEC (consisting of the Arab members of OPEC, plus Egypt, Syria and Tunisia) proclaimed an oil embargo in response to the United States decision to resupply the Israeli military during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo happened when 85% of American workers had to drive to work every day. President

Energy Crisis (1970’s) states that the crisis officially began when the “Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) reduced their petroleum production and proclaimed an embargo on oil shipments to the United States and the Netherlands, the main supporters of Israel.” They did

Going to the water was a hazard and they starved or was covered in the oiled

The Yom Kippur war (מלחמת יום כיפור) started on October sixth, 1973 when Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal in concert with Syrian allies attacking Israel from the north (Dayan, 1976, p. 24). Israeli Defense Forces responded, defeating and eventually chasing the Egyptians back across the Sinai and the Suez Canal. Israel upon threatening the direct military control of a strategic chokepoint, the Suez Canal; drew immediate response from Russian military forces. What had been the defense of Israel’s homeland, resulting from an unprovoked attack, in a regional conflict – suddenly elicited superpower intervention.

“On October 17, 1973, Arab oil producers declared an embargo that drastically limited the shipment of oil to the United States” (OPEC 1). Arab countries refused to sell oil to the United States because of the Yom Kippur War, a war between Egypt and Israel. In this war, United states was backing up Israel by supporting them and giving them weapons, which angered Arab leaders. Arabs started limiting the shipment of oil to the United States. The embargo, however, brought crisis to the US with unequal proportions. US citizens were very panicky because of the shortage of gas and oil. Ultimately, the US economy slowed down, leaving its’ citizens to to be dependent on domestic resources. Shipment of oil in the country dropped by 1 million barrels,

Benjamin Sovacool explains in his article that over the period of twelve years, the United States shale gas production increased 24.5 times the amount it produced in 1998. From 0.2 trillion cubic feet to an enormous 4.9 trillion cubic feet. Natural gas is also a huge financial benefit to North America. Before this drastic increase of fracking and natural gas production, the United States imported a clear majority of its oil and energy sources from the Middle East. This caused the middle east to obtain a control over the United States economic situation. For example, the 1979 oil embargo caused by OPEC (organization of petroleum exporting countries). According to Kimberly Amadeo, their decision to increase oil prices by a meager ten percent, caused oil rationing in the United States and worsened the already declining economy at this time. Since the increase in fracking and natural gas production, the U.S. has become decreasingly reliant on imported energy sources. Richard Janson denotes, that the impact of this influx of cheap gas has had many positive impacts on not only the economics of the energy industry, but foreign policy and the United States domestic policy. With the downfall in the need for imports for energy and the rise of hydraulic

By the 1970’s, America had become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as oil. Oil was used for many things such as: gasoline. While consumer use of gas was rising, the domestic production of oil was declining. To counter this, America had to rely heavily on importing foreign oil, but this proved disastrous. In 1973 America got involved in the Yom Kippur war. We played the role of resupplying Israel in their fight against Egypt, Syria, and the Soviets. Therefore, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drastically increased the price of oil and placed an embargo on oil being sent to the United States. The cost per barrel of oil quadrupled. Americans were hit with augmented fuel prices and less available fuel.

Finally, gasohol is considered to have helpful environmental effects. Research proves that by using gasohol instead of regular gasoline, carbon monoxide emissions will be reduced by as much as 17 percent, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 4.2 percent, and hydrocarbon emissions will be reduced by 5 percent. The use of gasohol also greatly reduces emissions of benzene (a known highly fatal carcinogen).

The Watergate scandal 1970 led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, articles of impeachment, and the resignation of Nixon as President of the United States in August 1974. General Ford succeeded President Nixon until President Carter’s Inaugural Address on January 20th, 1977. Domestic economic complications that Ford and Carter faced were increases in gasoline prices due the U.S.’s heavy dependence on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)—a cartel of Middle Eastern oil-producing nations—for its energy supply. In both 1973 and 1976, OPEC drastically raised the price of crude oil. This caused gas shortages around the world. In his Inaugural address, Carter promised to tackle the rising

The history of the embargo started when The famous revolution took over Cuba in 1959. When Castro arrived to the power he decided to nationalize private properties and business owned by American companies. This action led to the emigration of many Cubans to America and the antagonism of Cuban- American relations. In 1960, the Eisenhower administration placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine. After that the Cuban government turned to the Soviet Union for assistance converting themselves in a communist country and an enemy of the United States. In 1962, President Kennedy expanded the Embargo including this time any trade or travel to the Caribbean island. During his presidency Jimmy

May 22, 1967: Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran to Israel, cutting off their supply route to Asia and supply of oil. By international law this is an act of war.

The Importance of Oil in U.S. Foreign Policy During the oil and energy crisis of the mid-1970s Americans became painfully aware of the consequences of the United States dependence on foreign sources of oil. Unfortunately, research and exploration for alternative sources of oil in North America has not been pursued vigorously enough to cease such