"We have more coal reserves in the United States than they have oil reserves in Saudi Arabia."
Rudy Giuliani on Friday, January 25th, 2008 in Boca Raton.
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.
We find Giuliani’s statement True.
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.
Written by: Tom Tobin
Researched by: Caryn Baird
Edited by: Amy Hollyfield
Articles about this statement:
Fumbled facts in Florida
Published: Friday, January 25th, 2008
No, we don’t want to take your money. But we are more than willing to listen if you know of any facts or story ideas for the Truth-O-Meter. truthometer@politifact.com
PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate. >> More
