June 18, 2008
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Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
President Bush is pushing Congress to end a ban on offshore oil and gas drilling.
The ban includes waters along the East and West coasts. With gas at around $4 a gallon, support is gaining to use domestic oil and gas.
Some Democrats and Republicans oppose lifting the ban because they are “fearful that energy development could harm tourism and raise the risk of oil spills on beaches. Here is the link: Link
Do you think the U.S. should lift the ban on offshore drilling for oil?
Comments (109)
I think something needs to be done, but if I could figure out the best answer, I am sure someone else already has. However, wearywalden had a great post about this topic yesterday. Seems science may have come up with a solution.
There are so many offshore drilling works happening around the world. Don’t know how to answer your question, but that’s all that I can think (at this moment).
yup
yes i do. i think it is ridiculous for the gas prices to be so high, scpecially when there is available oil. the chances for an oil spill on the beaches in a little over 50% but, honestly, i think that is a chance we should be willing to take.
oh and by the way. i love your blog. (:
the US should ban presidents who have a lot of money tied up in oil companies. you know, kickbacks and whatnot.
the real solution is to push for renewable and green resources. but as long as oil is the big moneymaker, its going to be tough.
honestly i hope gas hits 5 and 6 bucks a gallon. then there will be an outcry for a cheaper and more efficient fuel.
@lyricsninja - Don’t make me wash your mouth out with soap, young man!
Gas prices need to go doooown, not up!
Heck yes.
BAN THIS CRAP!
we need alternative energy solutions.
@happydeviant - thats what ive been hoping for. instead people just complain about how the government is screwing them over.
NO!
Even with the ban lifted the price of gas will NOT go down very much :/ Only thing that will happen is oil company’s will get hella lotta $$$$.
Oil is like a natural coolant for our earth. We start taking it away and all the sudden the globe starts heating up?
Think about it.
sure why not, I cant afford it and most others too.
I saw a topic on the internet yesterday but did not read. Something about Mexico is paying 1/2 the price we are for gas. Why is that dan?
NO
Yes..I would think it would cost much more money to get it from other countries instead of our own. And there is something bad that you can make up out of anything..perhaps we have learned enough from our own lessons by now to prevent oil spills.
Yes. Definitely and it would be about time.
Yes. We can’t continue to have the best of both worlds. Either we quit whining about gas prices or we do something about it.
Yes, if proper safety precautions are taken. And with oil this expensive, they can afford it.
Why worry so much about off coast on the east and west? If they want a crack at off shore oil, they should work on getting to the oil field in the Gulf of Mexico. Possible 15-15.5 billion barrells would make it the largest American oil field, bigger even than the Alaskan field that we aren’t allowed to drill in.
Wonder how big an impact increasing our reserves by 50% would have.
There are other countries that are drilling for oil just offshore of the US anyhow.
I think we should all find ways to save gasoline. I know this is really hard, considering I’m out in the country. We’ve seriously considered moving into town just to save gas. It’s the mindset in most of Europe–conserve fuels–but it’s not here in America.
I’m not sure how much damage this could do to the US shorelines, but I don’t think it would help the gas prices either way. The reason for them being so high has nothing to do with scarcity, just speculation in the market.
@lyricsninja - extreme co-sign
@StewieIsMyHero - but if they go up to the point where people wont pay – 1. supply rises while demand falls. using simple economic principles, price also falls. (i know i know its more involved than that due to scarcity of resources, etc). 2. it makes people think about their consumption habits… and 3. it forces people to look toward alternate fuels.
I’m torn. I think we should be good stewards of the land we’ve been given, but at the same time, we’re suffering under the weight of high gas prices. So, in short, I don’t know.
If gas prices aren’t going to go down, then hellllllll no.
Considering there is a greater risk of an oil spill transporting oil into the US on tankers, than from off shore drilling, I see no reason why should not drill.
@lyricsninja - Yeah I knoooow, but I don’t want it to go up
Honestly I no longer care. I am about to become a walker
nope.
@StewieIsMyHero - lol in the long run, its better for everyone if it does. gotta think big picture.
You know a lot of nations have it right…heck, in some instances, Hitler had it right. Ok…before you go all anti-Semite on me, read on. Hitler wanted to make Germany a self-sustaining nation, not having to depend on foreign countries for ANY of Germany’s needs. He set scientist out to develop alternatives for many of Germany’s needs including coffe (made from acorns), things of that nature. What he developed was a nation able to care for itself. The U.S. needs to become more self-sustaining. We depend far to much on other nations to fulfill our needs. We are in a crunch, big time in terms of the gas, fuel, food, and jobs. If we don’t start policing ourselves and stop serving other countries before we serve ourselves we will collapse.
I don’t think it helps if the real reason that oil prices are so high is because of speculative investment intended to hedge against the falling dollar. What they really need to do is regulate that (and maybe save the airline industry in the process) and invest in an infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell cars, which may also, in the long run, just happen to save our planet.
no it won’t help that much
Or we could promote electric and hydrogen powered cars.
…No?
Because then the stuttering steps of “alternative fuel systems,” such as Tata Motor’s air compressed car, will be stifled for another couple of years, and the threat of global warming will increase.
Idiots.
no! we’re slowly killing the environment and we need to stop.
@lyricsninja - i agree wholeheartedly. Gas prices are killing all of our pockets, but we also don’t see so many people driving around hummers and other gas hogs. We need to support carbon free/efficient fuels, even if oil is making the most money. Especially since oil companies have been sued to clean up oil spills in the past and never done it. We can’t keep sacrificing the environment for fuel!
@CanadianConspiracy - agreed in full. the problem is finding how it will all fit into the world economy. part of the reason we still rely on gas is due to the planned obselence that we put on items and the jobs it creates. there have been things developed which would last 10 times as long…. but would also put tons of people out of jobs across the globe. there is a delicate balance that must be met. but in any case – we need to be more mindful of the environment we are abusing.
YES!
Yep, it’s crazy that China and Cuba can drill six miles off our coast and we can’t. It’s time to end our dependancy upon a bunch of rogue nations for oil, when we have an abundance right at home. In the meantime, we can continue to pursue alternative energy initiatives.
I have no problem with off-shore drilling, however it seesm that the gas price is not an issue of supply, it is an issue of the weakening American Dollar. is it possible that an import tax on all goods not manufactured in this country is the soultion, not looking for more oil. The threats of the middle east being at peak production on only speculation, at this point. Strengthen the Dollar and all good things will follow. I propose a tax on anything forgien, whter it be designer clotes for the top European designers, or the cheepest toothpicks from China.
Nope. We shouldn’t do anything to make oil more available. we should be reducing our supply, increasing the price and creating more and more incentives for alternative fuel developments. The faster the better.
I’d be for increasing the gas taxes. What’s more important your wallet today or the world in the future? It’s a no brainer.
we have enough oil apparently off of our shores and in shale to save our selves from sending 1 billion dollars a day overseas for oil.
yes, until they find a way to do it without disrupting the environment..but that will probably never happen.
I don’t agree with President Bush. I’m happy that gas prices are so high that people have to re-think the way the use their gallon.
I don’t think it matters either way!
The most immediate solution to high gas prices is increasing domestic production, and yes that means more drilling and more refineries. Developing alternative energy solutions will also be part of the solution long-term, but the technology is still years away and won’t help people in the here and now. There also needs to be time to look through all the consequences, otherwise we may have a repeat of the fiasco with ethanol driving up food prices and discarded compact fluorescent bulbs filling the earth with mercury.
Yes we should. Sure we need other alternative energy sources, but this is what we need NOW. This won’t diminish the want for alternative energy sources. Honestly, to many people are on the environmental bandwagon to let it go.
Honestly, we should have cars powered by nuclear energy.
No, and Dan, you should talk about the polar bears. I cant find the article, but it was on yahoo a couple days ago in which oil expedition companies are now allowed to “hurt or annoy” endangered polar bears. How unethical is that?
My Blackberry can’t reply to Pulses, so here’s my response to your latest:
Yesterday the boy I nanny asked me if I believe in Santa Claus. I didn’t know what to say, since we never had Santa in my home. So, I told him that I believe in St. Nicholas.
(I’ve always hated Barney.)
Yes. Government bans suck.
@innerblondness - Plenty of people would say that’s not unethical at all.
I don’t think that the ban should be lifted. Instead of trying to increase our oil supply and destroy our off-shore environments in the process, we should work toward ending our dependence on fossil fuels. As advanced as we are, we should be able to develop an alternative energy source that is widely available to all who want it.
RENEWABLE ENERGY!
Yes, to hell with those environmentalist, tree hugging wackos who are more interested saving a seal than a human.
Such a romantic photo!
I sure do! I make my living with a 3/4 ton truck, and yes it is necessary for me to have such a large vehicle to do what I do (Farrier: A blacksmith who specializes in shoeing horses). It now costs me over 1 hundred dollars to fill the tank. So I have to raise my prices accordingly, which doesn’t help my clients. Many people are now chooseing to put off proper hoof care, which does effect both the quality and length of a horses life, so no only is my family effected, the animals are shorted too. This is only one facet of the damage being done because gas prices are so high. So until we have a viable, and affordable alternative to fossil fuels we must do what we can to drive down prices, that will help our economy more than sending us these so called economic stimulus packages.
No. Oil spills are not the issue. Gas prices need to keep going up until there’s a public consensus and demand for alternative fuel sources.
Oil is a non-renewable resource that will peak, if it hasn’t already, and a minor mitigation in price now will harm us in the long run. We should be looking to innovate and update our infrastructures while we still can.
No. It wouldn’t solve the problem and it would damage or destroy the environment including the wildlife, even without an oil spill. We need renewable energy sources. Solar, wind, etc.
Wouldn’t gas prices being so high people can’t afford to go anywhere be a bigger hit to tourism than some offshore oil platform?
If we insist on running on oil and gas then we need to be willing to make some sacrifices so that we can get to the oil where it is located.
@placebeau1 - In the long run, keeping fuel prices high is in the best interest of humanity. Oil is a limited resource. It’s about time we started looking elsewhere. It’s not about the seals. It IS about people.
They have real, plausible fears. But does anyone really have the right answer?
<33
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
@innerblondness - Unlike, oh say, a polar bear attacking a human being? I’m sure there is more to the article and the “hurt or annoy” has to fit within certain reasons. Humans are dumb, not stupid (to a point) we just don’t go and annoy a vicious, wild animal. However, if that animal is in the way of, oh say, my survival, I shall annoy, bombard, hurt and even, yes, kill, to survive.
Sure, but it would be nice if we could eventually get past our love of internal combustion engines and find something better.
So this might not make the environmentalist very happy. But we have tons of oil in Alaska alone and so much more on our shores also!
We rely so much on foreign oil and whine about the prices. I believe that some of the bans should be lifted. I know for a fact the oil in the Alaska will not harm the environment if it is drilled.
Oh, and we live in cooperate america, so companies can and should be making profits. So don’t get all tied in a knot because someone is making money off of you. It is the world we live in.
P.S. I was reading an article that was actually supporting the Oil Companies, which is where I got most of the information on my 2 cents!
Sustainable oil? You might be surprised that there is considerable evidence to suggest that oil and gas is produce by abiotic processes. Especially interesting is article 3 concerning the reserves of methane gas found on Saturn’s moon Ttitan.
Sounds like a lot of people here want to use “evil” oil to beat us over the heads with their pet social and political theories.
How many of you think that nuclear energy is a viable option?
read about the abiotic oil debate here:
article 1
article 2
article 3
YES. . PRICES ARE HIGH. WE NEED OIL. WE HAVE IT ON OUR OWN LAND.OTHER COUNTRIES ARE TAKING IT. how do people not see this??
we have oil and china is coming across the world to
drill oil off the coast of Florida that we could easily take if they
would lift this ban.
@EarthsAzureLight - ok sure renewable oil would be great…but we need oil NOW and oil is being drilled own our own soil anyway, we’re just not getting any of it…
Absolutely not.
While I don’t necessarily have an issue with offshore drilling, I do believe that the cost required for the setup, maintenance, and running cost would offset all or most of the benefits consumers would otherwise receive. Even Bush admitted that consumers would probably not see much of an impact in reduction of gas prices. I think the government needs to be a little more creative.
Here is a good solution! Use our own resources (the undrilled oil) while also develop new ways to drive your car.
Or buy a moped and save on gas!
@nkleyva - Maybe you should look back at my comment. It was in regards to expedition workers harming them and annoying them to chase them away from potential oil drilling sites. It is purposely going in and destroying their homes and livelihood in order to gain profit. Here you go, do some research: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/14/companies-get-ok-to-annoy_n_107154.html
It’s not the oil companies that are making the most money from this……they get 4%. Thanks to taxes, the government get over three times that much – 15%.
Anyways, yes. Why not.
This is a sore subject for me, so I’ll continue to rant. Why do people think that they are automatically obligated to receive gas at the same price as their parents or even 10 years ago?
Yes, if they would’ve 6 or 7 years ago, we wouldn’t be in this fix.
Plus, if gas gets much higher there won’t be any tourists to care cuz they won’t be able to go on vacations
@EarthsAzureLight - We could run a whole city with the bull you dish out! Sorry Frank, I just couldn’t resist!
I’m all for ANY other source that works, but we shouldn’t just throw away what we can do with oil. Find other ways for energy and that will cause the oil prices to drop for sure because they will have something that competes with them.
@happydeviant - Hey HD I haven’t seen any posts from you since THE POWER OF SHOES went away. what ever happened to Lilly?
Pretty sure that article is pretty liberal! And very bias
I think they should use all this effort to drill for our own oil to develop alternative sources for fuel–the gas price would still fall, because demand would fall. We shouldn’t break and drill in the ocean just because the Smiths want to go to Panama City for their summer vacation.
Lift it if you like, just so long as you understand that it’s not a long-term solution to the problem of energy use – conservation and the development of energy sources are.
@UnworthyofHisgrace - That’s not to make prices drop, that’s just to, you know, be a more energy efficient country. How is that bullshit? Get your head out of your ass.
Yup.
Bad idea
I believe that we need ALL of our domestic oil for the day the oil in the rest of the world runs out.
The world will descend into chaos and we will need to be able to fuel our military.
I am not being sarcastic. Bush is a pure ass looking out for his buddies and not the country.
I hope he chokes on a sun chip.
For totally man! And if it spills, we can cook fish easier! Win-Win!
i plan on getting a car soon, so whatever makes gas cheaper. even if that means oily beaches. i’ll drive to the mountains instead.
Absolutely. Let’s stop letting Hugo Chavez take our oil and profit off of it by reselling it to us. Let’s stop letting other countries walk all over us. I have to agree with Rush Limbaugh today – if Congress ever lets us drill, the mere announcement of our intentions to use our own resources and not other countries will drop prices immediately. It’s not a long term solution by any means, but it would put our foot down and help our economy in more ways than one.
But good luck. Politics and buying into global warming, the biggest scam on earth, will keep the liberals from allowing any such thing. But I bet they’d stop complaining when in six months gas dropped to 50 cents a gallon…~Andi
Absolutely!
I think enironmentalist should form an hunder ground society of violent rebellers who favor the earth over humanity and fight agaisnt big oil companyies and stuff liek this… and rebbel and protest government and stufff like that! haah… nto really cause that woudl be bad.. but hey its’ better than letting bush push his will around…
Tonight on the news they said the rigs would be able to pump out only 2 1/2 years worth of oil. Not much of a solution.
@EarthsAzureLight - Dude, lighten up! Did I yank yer chain a bit too hard. Sorry, I was pretty much agreeing with you for once. Man!
We need to start looking into other forms of energy and transportation. I mean damn, its like gas is a bill now. I don’t even want to drive my car anymore because all this shit is just ridiculous.
Yeah, sure. Let’s also burn forests down while we’re at it.
For now, maybe it can help. However, in the long run it’s not a good solution. We need to find a way that we can still travel around like nowadays but, also easy on mother nature. Keep taking gas from the Earth is not a solution!
no. He’s such an idiot. From what I’ve read and such they are saying there isn’t much gas out there and it wouldn’t even put a dent in prices. Gas is going to run out one day. We need to find alternative sources for fuel. end of storey.
Ok…Can all americans raise their hands?
Alright now….for all of you that raised her hand.
Lets admit that we consume a more than what we NEED.
Also we enjoy money…sometimes at others expense.
Point being, Oil companies are making money. Which is American.
And we like to consume stuff, oil is one of them, but we don’t always need our SUV that on average holds 1 person.
NO. science can and probably has come up with something better.
YES! please drill, question do we still use the alaska oil line? wheres all that oil?
This is what we do! Make a bomb large enough so that we will be able to destroy enough of the earth to where we won’t be able to exist.
Then we DRILL DRILL DRILL.
And finally say goodbye!!
Actually that totally goes against how I believe the worlds is going to end!
More research into practical and renewable sources of energy. There has to be a way.
Because either way, whether we drill for domestic oil or not, eventually the world will run out.
ABSOFRICKENLUTELY !!! THE SOONER THE BETTER ! just the threat of doing it will bring prices down. the saudis need to sell all of the oil they can pump to keep their extravagant lifestyle !
First …drill holes in the “liberal” democrats. Then drill for oil
Instead of uplifting the ban this douche bag of a president should stop accepting briberies from oil companies and push for alternative resources. If we can make people live on plastic hearts, then we can make cars more efficient. It’s all a big conspiracy because these oil companies can afford to shush up car makers and the government. We’re suppose to be preventing global warming and destroying the earth’s habitats, however, this seems like 2 steps back. Oil companies will not drop gas prices. Perhaps $.20 and we’ll all be jumping for joy that gas is 3.75 when a year ago is was significantly cheaper
We need to find and support alternative fuels – perhaps we could change our restrictive laws.
We ALSO need to protect our security; if CHINA can drill right off MY coast, Florida….they will deplete OUR reserves. WE need to drill there. OUR technology is a much better chance of NOT having oil spills etc.
Maybe China WANTS to drill OUR oil, and maybe it would be a strategy to HAVE a spill…… When President Bush was talking with their leader (cannot spell it –sorry) and wanted more attention to human rights…..said we were serious and would do embargoes if we saw now progress….the response was that China in retaliation would dump all their US currency in order to destroy our economy.
Mafia? or world leader? I think they are dangerous. China has many criminals, many ethnicities and are not necessarily comfortable with their communist style. so the leaders are “tough” in order to keep “order.” But I think the internal situation is very volatile and so…..to have an enemy works to unify.
We need to be very careful. DRILL FLORIDA!~ and PROTECT OUR SHORES WITH OUR BRAINS
we cannot expect China to clean up any spills etc. so at least get the oil.
No. Because all the reports are telling us that the problem isn’t the amount of oil being drilled but the number of refineries to process it. They can only process “x” amout of oil at a time. Pumping more oil out of the ground would not increase the amount available, thus lowering the cost, because it would at still get backlogged at a limited number of refineries. The best way to lower gas prices is to build more refineries. Oil companies have been wanting access to offshore and Alaskan oil for years. They are using current gas prices as an excuse.
No, we need to get off oil not waste it.
Environment!!! and plus, if you do, it takes like 5 years before the infrastructure is ready to actually get any oil. in 2010, chevy volt comes out, toyota prius plug-in, honda clarity?
I say Nuclear power!!! Thorium based or Breeder Reactors!
Absolutely not. If we were to drill in the Atlantic and Pacific, not to mention the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge we would do three things: first, propagate our addiction to fossil fuels; second, DESTROY more of the environment than we already have; third, we would create a false solution.
Not only does offshore and polar exploratory drilling unnecessarily threaten a fragile environment, some less informed might see it as a solution to our $4/gal. fuel bills. It isn’t a solution because it isn’t time-efficient. Threatening out environment isn’t the answer. We need further research into alternative-non-food-based fuel (biofuel not crop based) sources if we are ever to rid ourselves of a petrol addiction.
Nope, I don’t agree with lifting the ban.
What we need to do is find alternative sources… not try to dig up and use what’s left. Also, it will take 10 years for gas prices to go down from the effects of the new offshore drilling so people will STILL be paying high prices for years to come.
No. I agree with hyde05 we need alternative fuel. Gas prices will not go down. Japan pays $8 a gallon most of Europe is at least $5-10.
Personally, I couldn’t care less as to the state of the tourist “industry” in America. Our security and very existance as a nation is a lot more important! When our entire economy is held hostage to unreliable or hostile foreign sources, we place both ourselves and the entire Free World in danger. Energy is the vital ingredient. To deliberately hold America in such constraints in order to curry political favor with elements, foreign and domestic, who hate America in any case, is an act bordering on treason. Those constraints must be lifted… NOW.