自理查德·尼克松开始,美国的历届总统都因美国对外国石油的依赖而倍感担忧——而最终对此又几乎无能为力。美国国内的石油生产长期以来曾一直在走下坡路,而美国人对原油以及多台汽车的渴求却一直在上升。因此,尽管两党都对石油进口问题颇感绝望,但美国却越来越依赖外国石油——尤其是来自中东的外国石油,这一地区又恰恰存在一些不喜欢我们的国家。但如今,颇为出人意料的是,这一切正在发生变化。由于在北达科他州和得克萨斯州等地新的页岩油生产突然兴起——以及提高汽车燃油效率等节能措施——美国石油进口量在不断降低,目前只占能源进口量的20%。如果国 Since Richard Nixon began, all previous U.S. presidents have been worried by the United States’ reliance on foreign oil, and in the end they are almost powerless. The U.S. domestic oil production has been on a downward spiral for a long time, and Americans’ thirst for crude oil and many cars has been on the rise. Thus, while both parties are rather desperate about oil imports, the United States is increasingly dependent on foreign oil, especially from the Middle East, where there are precisely those countries that do not like us. But now, quite unexpectedly, all this is changing. As new shale oil production has skyrocketed in North Dakota and Texas - as well as energy-saving measures to boost car fuel efficiency - U.S. oil imports are declining, currently accounting for only 20% of energy imports. If the country