At the height of the oil crisis, ethanol was responsible for keeping the price of oil 15% lower than where it would otherwise have been.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Fact vs. fiction on food vs. fuel

Nearly the entire Republican caucus, not to mention a handful of Democrats, are already on record voting for this concept in the August 2008 vote on the New Energy Reform Act, introduced by the so-called Gang of 10 during the height of the oil price spikes in 2008.

FORBES: After 'Drill, Baby, Drill,' Obama Should Embrace Another GOP Energy Plan

The Energy Department also noted that U.S. oil demand normally peaks in July and August, the height of American vacation season, and that the release should help alleviate the seasonal price spike somewhat.

FORBES: Obama Taps Strategic Petroleum Reserve Without Good Reason

Israeli airstrikes against a Lebanese oil refinery created an oil slick that has polluted some 80 miles of Mediterranean coastline, leaving the filthy beaches deserted at the height of the tourist season.

NPR: Divided Lebanon Wary of Hezbollah 'Victory'

This Ocean forecasting system could generate crucial forecast information, such as ocean circulation, sea surface temperature, wave height, to serve the needs of a variety of human activities related to marine hazards mitigation, oil and gas exploration, fisheries, navigation, marine parks management and coastal recreational activities.

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