Bill Maher, do some more homework before hitting the Sunday News show

[zulchzulu]

It's sad when someone makes an absurd statement on TV, no matter who they are and what political side they may be on. And it was clearly the case when Bill Maher on ABC's This Week regarding dependence on oil by saying "I mean, Brazil got off oil in the last 30 years, we certainly could have."

Actually, Bill... that's completely wrong. Here are some specs on Brazil:

Oil > Consumption - 2,372,000 bbl/day
Oil > Exports - 481,100 bbl/day
Oil > Production - 2,277,000 bbl/day

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/br-brazil/ene-energy

Lots of the Brazilian oil is offshore as well:

According to the Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ), Brazil had 12.6 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in 2009, second-largest in South America after Venezuela. The offshore Campos and Santos Basins, located on the country’s southeast coast, contain the vast majority of Brazil’s proven reserves. In 2008, Brazil produced 2.4 million barrels per day (bbl/d) of oil, of which 76 percent was crude oil. Brazil’s oil production has risen steadily in recent years, with the country’s oil production in 2008 about 150,000 bbl/d (6 percent) higher than 2007. Based on its September 2009 Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA forecasts Brazilian oil production to reach 2.61 million bbl/d in 2009 and 2.81 million bbl/d in 2010. Brazil’s oil consumption averaged 2.52 million bbl/d in 2008. As a result of this rising oil production and flat consumption growth, EIA expects that Brazil will become a net oil exporter in 2009.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Brazil/Oil.html

There's also PolitiFact:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/may/02/bill-maher/bill-maher-and-george-will-spar-over-oil-and-brazi/

On edit:

Maher may have been referring to Brazil using ethanol in most cars there, but there are still autos/etc that still use petroleum. As for the Brazilian Ethanol Miracle, it may in fact produce MORE carbon gases than petroleum:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/09/the_dirty_underside_of_lulas_clean_energy_revolution?page=0,1

[Klukie]

1. agreed...

Facts trump all IMO.

[hlthe2b]

2. it is true that Brazil now uses ethanol to power 7/10 of all new cars

They are the ethanol superpower and that has decreased their dependence on oil considerably. That is what Bill was trying to say, however inartfully. I had read the same for years... Here is a CBS piece that validates that assumption.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/13/tech/main1394254.shtml

[golfguru]

4. Brazil has better climate for sugar cane production

and that is a better source of ethanol than corn.

[Enthusiast]

14. A far better source.

While cane is a viable source corn simply is not.

[zulchzulu]

6. I know about Brazil's use of ethanol in cars... but...

...you can't say that Brazil doesn't use oil anymore.

The main point is that if you use Maher's assumption in an argument with someone for drilling, you look like an ass when it's easily checked out as bogus.

As for ethanol, it's not necessarily the magic bullet for autos either... look at the pros and cons:
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center-article_46/

[hlthe2b]

9. I don't argue either point.. but Maher, while misstating their

continued offshore oil drilling was not wrong about their substantial decrease in oil dependency. As to the pros and cons of ethanol, that is beside the point. He was trying to make the point that other countries are way ahead of us in terms of weaning ourselves off oil and that is true.

[zipplewrath]

11. Yes, it was hyperbole

It was an extrodinary statement, and I knew he'd be in trouble in the long term for it. It is the danger of trying to simplify complex arguments. Brazil has done alot to replace oil as a source of energy. And they have succeeded in doing so. However, they didn't stop using oil altogether. Not by a long shot. The sad part was is that if Bill had stated it more accurately, his overall point would have stood.

[Klukie]

12. "It is the danger of trying to simplify complex arguments."

Exactly!!

[Klukie]

3. Oh...I hit the recommend button but it looks as if folks here can't handle facts.

[hlthe2b]

5. ???

[jenmito]

8. The poster was saying that someone unrec'ed this thread because they must not

like the facts which proved Maher wrong.

[Klukie]

10. Why would people unrecommend this post when it is true?

Maher should have known his facts. He presented the argument as if Brazil got off of oil which is not the case. he left the door open for all of the oil mongers to tear down the good efforts Brazil has made.

[jenmito]

7. K&R. Maher asked to be fact-checked and I'm glad he was proven false. Just

the way he blames Obama for things that are not his fault makes me happy he was, once again, wrong. He has also called Obama "Black Jesus" and "joked" about him using the teleprompter. :eyes:

[jillan]

13. That was really a lively panel yesterday - too bad Bill couldn't contribute.

Kinda reminded me of Leno Sat nite...get them away from the comfort of their desk & studio and they suck!

[Oregone]

15. Lame. You can prove anything with facts

[daylan b]

16. He has a weak grasp on science but strong opinion of his own intelligence

Just go back to his admonishment of everyone who uses cell phones for "killing us all" because of the bee population collapses.

[Cha]

17. Thanks Zulch..that's not the only

thing he's ever been wrong about, either. Just says stuff that doesn't have anything to do with reality.