"We have more coal reserves in the United States than they have oil reserves in Saudi Arabia."
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U.S. is Saudi Arabia of coal
In the Republican debate on Jan. 24, 2008, in Boca Raton, Rudy Giuliani was asked a question about global warming. He said he would address the problem in part by supporting alternative fuel sources such as coal.
"We need to expand the use of clean coal," he said. "Carbon sequestration is expensive, but it's a process that works. We have more coal reserves in the United States than they have oil reserves in Saudi Arabia."
Giuiliani's comparison is accurate.
According to the U.S. Energy Department, the United States has 267.3-billion short tons of coal reserves, or 26.8 percent of the world total. Saudi Arabia has about 20 percent of the world's oil reserves.
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Our Sources
Energy Information Administration, Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government — Saudi Arabia
U.S. Energy Department, Crunch the numbers — Energy in the U.S.
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U.S. is Saudi Arabia of coal
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