Summer CE Week #2: “Drilling just common sense”
Sometimes public opinion doesn’t flow smoothly; it shifts sharply when a tipping point is reached. Case in point: gas prices. Gas at $3 a gallon didn’t change anybody’s mind about energy issues; $4 a gallon gas did. Evidently, the experience of paying more than $50 for a tankful gets people thinking we should stop worrying so much about global warming and the environmental dangers of oil wells on the outer continental shelf and in Alaska. Drill now. Nuke the caribou.
Our system of divided government and litigation-friendly regulation makes it hard for our society to do things, and easy for adroit lobbyists and lawyers to stop them. Nations with more centralized power and less democratic accountability find it easier: France and Japan generate most of their electricity by nuclear power and Chicago, where authority is more centralized and accountability less robust than in most of the country, depends more on nuclear power than almost all the rest of the nation.
We have banned oil drilling on a very small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that is godforsaken tundra (I have been to the North Slope oil fields, similar terrain – I know) for fear of disturbing a herd of caribou – a species in no way endangered or scarce.
The ANWR ban is the work of environmental restriction groups that depend on direct-mail fundraising to pay their bills and keep their jobs. That means they must always claim the sky is falling. They can’t get people to send a check or mouse-click a donation because they did a good job, the restrictions they imposed on the Alaska pipeline in the 1970s have done a good job in preserving the environment or because clean air acts of the past have vastly reduced air pollution.
ANWR is a precious cause for them because it can be portrayed (dishonestly) as a national treasure and because the pressure for drilling there has been unrelenting. Democrats have enlisted solidly in their army, and they have also been able to recruit Republicans who wanted to get good environmental scorecards to impress enviro-conscious voters.
Now all that is in danger, because the pain of paying $60 for a tank of gas has persuaded most Americans to worry less about the caribou or the recurrence of an oil spill that happened 39 years ago. Democratic leaders are preventing Congress from voting on continental shelf and ANWR drilling or oil shale development because they fear their side would lose and are making the transparently absurd claim that drilling won’t lower the price of oil. They’re scampering to say that they would allow drilling somewhere – mostly in places where oil companies haven’t found any oil.
In a country with less in the way of checks and balances, which can be gamed by adroit lobbyists and litigators, we would be building more nuclear plants and drilling offshore and in ANWR. We would be phasing out corn ethanol subsidies that are enriching Iowa farmers and impoverishing Mexican tortilla eaters, and we would be repealing the 54-cent tariff on Brazilian sugar ethanol.
On balance, of course, I prefer our system over the more centralized, less accountable systems of France and Japan (and Barack Obama’s Chicago). But it sure does have its costs.
But it also has its benefits: Public opinion, when it has changed as it has with $4 gas, has an effect. Environmental restrictionists like Al Gore have been selling a form of secular religion: We have sinned against Mother Earth, we must atone and suffer, there can be no argument, but we must have faith.
That was an appealing argument to many, perhaps most, Americans when gas was selling for $1.40. It has a much more limited appeal now that gas is selling for $4.10. The time may be coming when our lunatic environmental policies are swept away by a rising tide of common sense.
The United States should not start drilling for more oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, because this could destroy the wildlife and natural habitat of these animals. As the author stated, there are caribou that life in this refuge, but there are also endangered birds and species of trees that are located here. Although the caribou may not be an endangered species, why should we do something that will eventually put them on that list? Since I took environmental science, I know the dangers of drilling in this area. The natural habitat would be destroyed, hundreds of animals would be displaced, and once this happens the habitat can never be replaced like it was before. Not to mention the fact that there was the Exxon Valdez spill that happened in this area, which caused devastating effects on the birds and plant life in this area. Additionally, the fact that we have oil sitting in the reserve, where it can’t be used, is just ridiculous. This oil is supposed to be used in an emergency, but hasn’t this happened already? The emergency is the economy and many people can’t afford to feed their families because they need gas for work. If the reserve was opened, this would help lower gas prices. And let us not forget all the oil wells that are capped off and are sitting there doing nothing! These wells are capable of pumping more oil, and the only reason why they aren’t is because they need to be fixed or updated. This would cost less money than drilling and pumping new oil. Just look at the oil wells in Oklahoma that are capped off, because “they aren’t needed anymore”. This is just a bunch of crap! Use the wells that already exist! Also, drilling for oil will only help with gas prices now, and then when we don’t have enough gas in three or four years we will want to drill somewhere else. If we didn’t learn anything from the 1970’s when they had gas troubles, drilling can’t solve all our problems. We only want to do this because we don’t want to accept the fact that we need new energy sources! Lastly, scientists believe there is only three years worth of oil in Alaska. Why destroy this area for only three years worth of oil? Is it worth it to destroy a place of protection for these animals? IF WE INVEST IN NEWER METHODS OF ENERGY (solar power, wind energy, and using biofuels for cars) WE COULD HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY FOR OUR DAILY NEEDS. CONSIDER OTHER THINGS BESIDE YOURSELF!!! And Democrats are doing a great job in preventing Republicans from drilling in Alaska. If Republicans had their way, we would have destroyed the environment along time ago. DON’T DRILL, INVEST IN NEW IDEAS!!!
Drilling in ANWR is about as far away from common sense as I can think of. America is already so addicted to oil that it would do no good to worsen the addiction by drilling. As shown during the Carter administration and in several other countries, like Iceland and Israel, there are alternatives to oil that work. The only thing I agree with Michael Barone about is that ethanol doesn’t work (because it doesn’t). Money used in drilling for oil should be transferred into being up algae plants. As ludicrous as that sounds, algae bio-diesel is a very simple form of alternative energy that takes greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, out of the air to make a very efficient bio-diesel. Israel gets a lot of its power from algae operations.
Also, drilling in ANWR would be more catastrophic to the environment than hurting caribou. The artic shelf in question is smack-dab in the middle of polar bear territory and is an important area because polar bears go there during mating season. And while caribou, as the author says, are not endangered, polar bears most certainly are. Many other species of animal that reside on that shelf are also either threatened or endangered, as Ashley Rowe stated.
“…we should stop worrying so much about global warming and the environmental dangers of oil wells on the outer continental shelf and in Alaska.” This is something else we cannot do. If everyone were as gun-ho as the author to go drilling, then our environment would be even worse off than it is now. We need to stop screwing up the environment before its starts screwing us up. Researching alternative, environmentally friendly methods of energy and not drilling in vital habitat for endangered and threatened species is common sense.
I think drilling in ANWR would be a horrible idea. I agree with Jonathan it would worsen our addiction to oil. Right now we are completely dependent on foreign oil and that is a really bad thing, but the way to fix it is not by tapping into our own oil stashes. If we started drilling off the shores of the United States, the gas prices would shoot back down and Americans would go back to being selfish and start consuming and consuming and consuming again. So then the problem appears to be fixed in the eyes of the American people, but what about 20 years from now? What if the oil wells we continually drill in [U.S. coast] go dry; then what happens? We are then back to square one and have to find additional places to get oil, making the prices sky rocket again. We need to focus on ways to become less dependent on oil, not just through alternate forms of energy, but by making cars that need very little gas and using other materials to make concrete etc.
Secondly, I felt that this author was very Pro-McCain. I was just reading an article on MSNBC about how McCain wants to start off Shore [United States] drilling and how Barack Obama is completely against it. He also says “Barack Obama Chicago”. What is that? Chicago is the one city in America that is actually using a lot of nuclear power maybe that is a good thing.
Lastly, tapping into Oil reserves in ANWR could kill the wildlife around that area. There is a reason it is called Arctic Nation WILDLIFE refuge. It is a place where the wildlife, such a caribou, are supposed to be safe. Just because the species isn’t endangered that doesn’t mean we need to make them that way. Is paying $1.40 for a gallon of gas really the price we want to pay if it means killing wildlife. I really don’t like the “forget the wildlife” mentality. There is a reason why the rest of the world calls Americans selfish; maybe it is because in some ways we are.
In response to Jonathan and Haley, I feel that it is necessary to drill in ANWR because Americans are so dependent on oil, high gas prices haven’t seemed to stop people from buying oil, as much as it has stopped them from buying other less needed goods such as electronics. The media also has been putting out false pictures of ANWR showing some beautiful place that is actually a dessert, and while it does have animals the environment is not that big of a deal their and it is a small area. It frustrates me that we are always getting false images of things such as ANWR and I think that has something to do with environmentalists that don’t have anything better to do than sit and try and stop people from drilling oil in such a little place. If you go to ANWR’s website you can see that the animals don’t seem to be minding the drilling some of them are even walking on the pipeline. http://www.anwr.org/photo.htm
I don’t know if I completely agree with this article. I understand that everyone is suffering from the high gas prices, but we don’t have to drill in the ANWR land in order to find new oil. I know people who are finding new ways to reduce their gas prices by mixing other things into their gas, it may be illegal (I don’t know if it is or not), but they aren’t paying as much. I think if the car companies would reduce the cost of electric and hybrid cars, we all wouldn’t be in such bad shape when it came to gas. However, we all know that that is never going to happen.
About the author’s comment about the caribou being “in no way endangered or scarce”, I have to point out a few things. Right now they aren’t endangered because the ANWR is caring enough to make sure that doesn’t happen. However, I think animals get used to the things that humans build and do around them. I have a family friend that works for the Alaska pipeline who is constantly sending us pictures of the different wildlife that passes by where she works. Not only have there been caribou, there is the occasional bear along with deer and moose. I don’t think it would bother the animals much if they did strike oil on the ANWR, but I think it’s just precautionary not to.
Ashley, Haley, and Jonathan, I disagree with all of you. Drilling in ANWR is necessary. America needs oil and can’t keep relying on our foreign sources. Gas prices are way too expensive right now and they will just keep going up and that’s why we need to find our own sources. The caribou won’t become endangered if we drill in that one spot because the caribou are spread across the whole entire arctic. I do agree that we need to find another source of energy but right now we are in desperate need for oil. If we get our oil and prices go down then everybody can calm down and think of another solution before this problem happens again.
In response to Amanda Eagle.
The fact that ANWR a “dessert” with “not that big of a deal” habitat is somewhat unrelated to the overall enormity of drilling ANWR. The fact is that we as people (especially Americas) are using more of earth’s resources than are essentially available. In all actuality, oil is not bottomless, it will run out eventually.
Also, who are we to suck the earth of its resources? Earth so kindly inhabits us, shouldn’t return the favor? Shouldn’t we preserve what preserves us?
The hasty environmentalists that you speak of are simply doing their job: preserving the earth’s resources.
In response to Amanda and Sarah
Drilling in ANWR would not help anything. Even if drilling were allowed, it would take years, up to twenty so say, for us to even reach the oil that is supposed to be there, and all this after years of constructing the drills and the pipelines to get it out of Alaska. While America needs oil, America needs to get away from using oil even more. There are better ways, and faster ways, to get the energy we need that from drilling more. And that “desert” may not be the prettiest place, but it is vital to endangered species, such as polar bears.
In response to Ashley Rowe’s comment, I would have to defiantly agree. This would be such an American thing to do, putting animals and plants in danger just for our own wants. I would also have to agree that we need to just use the oil reserves that already exist. Like Ashley said, this would probably cost less then opening up whole new wells. Plus, it would be nice to keep these oil reserves for an ACTUAL emergency. We need to use what we have right now, so that later, if we don’ t have the resources we have today, we can use the oil in the ANWR.
First of all, aren’t Americans hypocritical? Sure when gas prices are at a nice easy $1.40 we’re all save the caribou people at heart. But when the prices hit $4.10…oh forget the caribou…they’re not even endangered anyways! This is a sad picture of when everything is dandy and just sounds nice to be enviro-friendly, Americans will accept anything to make themselves sound better. But wait…when these same things might actually take some sacrifices and hard work, forget the morals. It sadly reminds me of the Little Red Hen and her lazy barn animal friends. If you haven’t heard about that go ask your little sister, she’ll gladly fill you in. Now instead of the huge debate whether we should save the caribou in the ANWR, I think the more important issue at hand regards how America is just sitting on our heels guzzling the gas reserves from other countries. So instead of complaining we should just simply use the great resources that we have at hand. In chemistry, I learned how instead of reusing our nuclear waste like the efficient European countries do, we bury it. Isn’t that a little ironic? We’re so concerned for poor mother earth…and then we just bury hazardous nuclear waste thinking that as long as we can’t see it we won’t have to deal with it. Think how much energy we could save if we just followed the example of other countries and reused our waste to fuel our country’s growing needs. That we we could appease the caribou loving, mother earth saving, tortilla eating, gas guzzling people of America.
I would have to say that this article is tremendously one-sided and maybe that is why it is so easy to argue it, but I definitely disagree with drilling in ANWR. As others have already pointed out, Americans are so dependent on these natural resources that it doesn’t faze them one bit of the consequences. As much as four dollars sounds rediculous to us, other countries have it worse then we do. Does the article point that out? If I remember correctly, in France, the gas prices were about 1.50 euro-ish (give or take a couple cents) per liter. There is about three liters in a gallon, so they are paying 4.50 euro for their gas which transacts to about 9 dollars with the currency exchange. Face it, we have it good. I believe the drilling of ANWR is unnecessary at the current moment. We are still surviving with the purchase of oil from other countries, and until that price drastically increases, then we don’t need to drill. Another huge reason it is not necessary to drill is the possible damaging or killing off the wildlife; including the Caribou.In eighth grade we watch a video showing the damages that the previous oil spill caused thirty years ago. The images were devastating and the animals could not survive. Is it really worth the risk? Our animals and our environment should not be in danger because we as people needed to drive our car to the mall. I do admit, however, that I like to drive my car and I need it to get to work, so I guess when the gas prices really begin to increase is when it will start hitting us all.
Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is definitely not the answer to our devastating gas prices. It is simply a way for those lets say, opposite of environmentalists, to sway the public to “their” side. Michael Barone was correct in saying, “the experience of paying more than $50 for a tankful gets people thinking,” and it creates the perfect opportunity to undo everything the environmentalists have worked for. The public is easily swayed and will swing to the side that suits their personal needs because that is what everything in reality comes down to. Not many really care about the environment. Not many even really care about where our oil comes from or how we get it, But as soon as it affects their lives personally that is when every one gets involved. People like Barone have already destroyed the earth enough and endangered many species of animals lives with their ways of solving economical dilemmas. What is left of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge needs to be left alone because if we do not set limits to where we can drill, pretty soon we will find drillers in are own back yard. The oil spills alone are not worth it. Technology has significantly increased, but will never be perfect, and trying to reach that perfection would drain the money we are trying to save. Even the occasional oil spill is so catastrophic that the effects of one can destroy the lives of hundreds of species directly and even more indirectly. Not only would it destroy the environment and wildlife, but also our economy. Isn’t that what it all came down to in the first place? environmentalists are not the bad guys. Some have gone about things the wrong way,but is saving the environment really that bad of a thing? NO! there is nothing wrong with finding alternative fuels and discovering new energy sources. The price of gas would not have such an impact on our lives if we did not depend on it so much. People like Barone want us to keep that addiction to oil because it makes them money. Barone even made a statement that he supported “building more nuclear plants and drilling offshore and in ANWR,” because then we would “be phasing out corn ethanol subsidies that are enriching Iowa farmers and impoverishing Mexican tortilla eaters, and we would be repealing the 54-cent tariff on Brazilian sugar ethanol”. I agree that the world needs to work together, but there is nothing wrong with a self sufficient nation. It is almost like he does not think that we should be providing for ourselves and that Iowa benefiting from the need for ethanol is a bad thing. I fully believe that the world should act as one and help each other when they need it and not make it more difficult for one country than is needed, but in the world we live in today it is beneficial to not be entirely dependent upon other countries because it ties our hands and leaves us vulnerable. As far as i am concerned there are many things this man has said that simply do not make sense and he is simply the very manipulator that he claims to be making you aware of.
in response to amanda
Just because the animals are walking on the pipes does not mean that they do not mind it. Im sure that the reality is that where that pipe is now is where their home used to be and they are confused as to why it is not there any more or why they left to find food for their babies, but now their babies are no where to be found. It is misconceptions like that that frustrate me. I fully agree with Deyer when he talked about how long it would even take to reach that oil. In that amount of time don’t you think we could take action in a more constructive way? people are talking like there is no alternative, but there is plenty of alternatives. this is just the laxy way out! We could spend our valuable time researching new options to appease everyone and everything or at least as close as we can. Drilling in ANWR would be going into the problem bind. What happens when all the oil is gone…? lets us prepare for the future instead of gratifying ourselves today. I also agre with Hilary when she talks about mother earth inhabiting us and how we need to return the favor. Humans really see them selves as the controllers of everything and really when you think about it we depend a lot on the earth. That makes us vulnerable to her. We should see the earth as our home. You would not destroy your own home to make a quick buck or save some money, so why should we destroy the earth.
In response to Amanda Eagle:
First of all, you say that America is “dependent” on oil, which I believe is a true statement. Isn’t that motive enough to say no to drilling? We are going to use up all of the natural resources and then what happens one day when we run out? Americans need to learn other ways so then when all the oil runs out, we can still manage to live. We did fine with out oil for quite a few years. Another statement you make about the ANWR being a, “dessert, and while it does have animals the environment is not that big of a deal their and it is a small area.” Not a big deal? Well how about someone decided to drill a whole where your home is, it is the same situation. These animals are our wildlife and we must not kill them off. Even if it is not that big of a spot, the consequences from a major oil spill are terrible.
This is pretty ridiculous if people would rather clean out all form of oil within our reach on top of destroying wildlife. It would probably be cheaper to figure out an alternate energy source. The costs of building up a modern nuclear plant. Because there would have to be multiple plants the numbers would add up very quickly especially if the government is going to pay for it.
It would be way less expensive to figure out alternate energy sources for cars and whatnot. A couple days ago on the news I dont know if anyone saw this but this kid and his dad ad transformed what looked like an old Acura Integra into a electric car and it goes as fast as a normal car and can get pretty far off of a charge and it only cost like $15,000. Now compare that to the only electric car that runs like that and it runs about $150,000. Paying $15,000 to get my car so i dont have to drop $50 every tank would be totally worth it and i would never have to buy a car again just a new battery once in a while. If anything I think it would be much cheaper to mass produce these cheap electric cars than drill more oil and build up nuclear plants
In response to Jonathan Dyer (and almost everyone else):
Let’s drill in Alaska. Let’s drill everywhere. We are killing the economy. Better to make a couple of deer walk a little farther than to let huge oil conglomerates become despicable cutpurses. Organisms die and go extinct all the time. You’ve all seen The Lion King: circle of life. And the business cycle, speaking of cycles, has our economy in the hole. Any way to lighten the load should be seriously considered, including looking into other types of fuel. However, until these oil substitutions make some headway, we need a solution. The oil under ANWR is not going to be enough. Hello? Why do you think we went into Iraq? Enough with the pretenses: gimme the oil. I like oil. And when all the treehuggers who read this article and had a heart attack over the little caribou (who aren’t so little, they could totally stab you with those vicious antlers) are riding around on your old-timey bicycles or walking to your next green meeting, I will be flying by in my Porsche, guzzling oil like a fiend and hitting pedestrians like you. You might say we’re killing the Earth. Not true. We are destroying our environment and, thus, killing ourselves. We could cause ourselves to go extinct. The Earth will still be here. Take that as you sing your Kumbaya and hold hands with a Panda. I hope it has rabies.
In response to Ashley, Johnathan, and every single other person who blogged on this article:
How long do you suppose that it will take us to find “new technology” and then even integrate it, make sure it works and remove all oil-using products? A long freaking time. So how a bout we drill (safely with that new technology so we dont hurt fuzzy animals) to lower prices and lessen foirgn oils hold on us.
Now our problem is definitly not solved but its looking better and while we find new technology (which is good). We need to help solve the problems insted of ignore the problems and hope for new technology to come and save us.
Also tapping into our oil reserves is a terrible idea. Okay so suppose we do use the reserves, gas prices go down (yay!) and we are happy. Oops now the reserves are out (they don’t last long) prices are up again, and we are in the same spot as before. Wow then you realize that that didn’t work and now if there is any serious problem where we have no oil we are screwed. And all that for some tempraory relif.
Lastly what the heck is wrong with everyone is this bash America day, did I miss the memmo? I’m sorry that you live in the greatest country in the world – if you hate it so much then leave. Oh wait you won’t because everywhere else sucks worse and has just as many problems as us so shut it with the “This would be such an American thing” ” aren’t Americans hypocritical?” ect. My gosh people you hate generalising and here you are saying Americans suck – WOW that’s a generalisation if I ever heard one. Sure some people are corrupt but there are corrupt people every where, most people are good – they want to do what they think is best. – So cram it up your cram hole.
I like America!
ANWR, however bland and boring this guy says it is, is, as says in its name, a National Wildlife Refuge. Like everyone else said, drilling in ANWR isn’t going to fix our energy problems. It’s only going to extend our realization that we are going to be screwed if we don’t do anything. As for the caribou, they will be fine, the pipe is actually suspended so they can still migrate underneath. But to me that is completely beside the point. If we use all the oil on our planet it’s going to take a long time for it to renew itself and until then what are we going to do? Like Alena said it would be like the circle of life except we would be going back to caveman status. Just trying to survive without our ever so important machines that run on oil. While we still have this oil we should be figuring out how we are going to not have to use it.