Summer CE WEek #5: “Pelosi considers offshore drilling”
Democrats feeling pressure to lift ban
WASHINGTON – Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is considering legislation that would permit new offshore drilling as part of a broad energy bill, a response to growing anxiety within her party that Republicans are gaining traction with election-year attacks that Democrats aren’t doing enough to address high gasoline prices.
One proposal under consideration would let states decide whether to permit new energy exploration off their coasts while possibly maintaining the drilling ban off the Pacific coast, according to a House leadership aide who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations
Pelosi has long opposed lifting the drilling ban but has come under pressure from members of her own party – including freshmen in tough re-election campaigns – to allow a vote on offshore drilling. Adding to that, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama recently said that he would be open to limited offshore drilling if it was part of a broader energy compromise.
A vote is now likely to be held next month, after the House returns from its summer recess.
What exactly would be voted on was still being discussed Wednesday. Democrats are expected to insist that any bill include some of their priorities, such as the repeal of oil industry tax breaks and a requirement that utilities generate more electricity from cleaner energy sources. Those measures, which have drawn Republican opposition, could complicate passage of any measure.
Pelosi said on CNN’s “Larry King Live” earlier this week that she would consider a vote on offshore drilling, “but it has to be part of something that says we want to bring immediate relief to the public and not just a hoax” – part of a broader package that would likely include investment in alternative energy sources, releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and targeting speculation in energy markets.
Pro-drilling forces remained suspicious.
“Just because a bill comes to the floor with ‘offshore’ and ‘energy’ in the title doesn’t mean it’s a good offshore drilling bill,” said Brian Kennedy, a former House Republican leadership aide who is now with the Institute for Energy Research, a Washington research group that promotes free-market energy policies. “Speaker Pelosi is only going to schedule a vote on an offshore energy bill if she believes it would be politically perilous not to, and even then, it’s not going to have much energy in it.”
While President Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain have called for lifting the long-standing ban on new offshore drilling, Pelosi has called it an election-year “hoax” by oil industry allies. She has said it would provide no immediate relief from high gas prices and, even in the long run, have a negligible effect on energy costs at potential risk to the environment.
At least 31 Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors of legislation to permit new drilling 25 miles off the coast – or, if states object, 50 miles offshore. The number of Democratic supporters is expected to grow once lawmakers get an earful from their constituents about high gasoline prices, said Dave Helfert, a spokesman for Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, one of the bill’s chief sponsors.
The idea of letting states decide whether to permit drilling has gained support in the Senate, too. A bipartisan group of senators recently announced a compromise that would let Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia decide whether to allow drilling 50 miles off their shorelines.
I actually really like this idea. I’ve always thought we should lift the drilling ban. Don’t get me wrong, I think that we should continue to invest in alternative energy, but we’ve been doing this for years and nothing has helped so far. Maybe I say this just because, just as every other American, I am despeorate to see gas prices drop. Nonetheless, I would rather see something done than nothing. As far as the environment, drilling can hurt the environement no matter where it is drilled and oil is drilled in the middle east all the time. Besides, there are saftey precautions take when drilling for oil. America is full of brilliant people, so I’m sure that someone can figure out a safer way to drill. I agree with Pelosi, in the fact that I do think drilling should be part of a larger bill that might include funding for mor research on alternative energies. The only thing that bothers me is the disagreements republicans and democrats have with certain aspects of the bill (such as the repeal of oil industry tax breaks) because it will take longer to pass if it passes at all.
In response to Felica. We may have been drilling for years, but the thing is, opening these new areas is what will cause the prices of oil to go down. I do agree with you, we have plenty of brilliant minds in America, we just have to utilize them in the right ways. Trial and error is what we have to go through, and if we don’t open up more chances to try, we will be missing out on a great opportunity. I believe that if spills were to happen, then they were meant to happen. We might as well try to go for it.
I think that we shouldn’t have more offshore drilling, because the environmental consequences are too great. The major concern I have for offshore oil drilling is the destruction of habitats and animals that depend on these areas to survive. The marine environment is very fragile and needs to keep a balance, but if oil drilling is allowed this environment could be destroyed. There are birds, fish, and other creatures that depend on each other to survive, and if one is taken away the extinction of another will follow. Another concern is the toxic drilling waste that is dumped into our oceans from oil companies. This waste destroys the oceans and inhabitants, but also makes it dangerous for people who swim or do other activities in the water. This waste (mainly mercury) also makes it dangerous for people who eat fish and other seafood from the ocean, because the organism absorbs the toxin and releases the toxin when ingested by another organism. If fish are poisoned by these toxin and people ingest them, many people will get seriously ill. It’s not like the toxins will stay in one area of the ocean! Another concern is the effects that drills have for animals living in the oceans. When the drill is going into the earth it emits a high pitched sound which affects endangered animals such as whales and dolphins. These noises make the whales and dolphins leave their natural breading grounds and their food sources behind, because they are looking for a safer place to live. This will make these populations drop, and the whales could some day become extinct.
Another concern is the possibility of an oil spill occurring. Oil companies are trying to guarantee the public that oil spills don’t happen that often. But one oil spill can cause years of damage and death to plants and animals living in the oceans. If a spill occurs it costs millions of dollars to clean up, and the damage done is permanent.
Furthermore, drilling would also affect the fishing industry because the fish would leave to find another place to live. This would make fishing more expensive, and would affect our economy because prices on food would skyrocket.
Also, it would cost the US government millions of dollars to build oil rigs for offshore drilling. Money that we don’t have to spend!
Why should be condemn these animals and plants to death just for oil? It won’t help bring down the gas prices right away and it could take up to ten years to see an impact. We need to use the oil that we have in the reserve and invest in alternative energy sources, rather than trying to drill our way out of this problem!
I definitely feel that we need new energy sources because of harm to the environment etc. I also think that it’s dumb to think that just because we want those new energy sources, we can’t expand our old sources of energy. We should drill more offshore around our counrty. It would reduce our dependence on the middle East, and the rest of the world for resources. If we control more of the oil, then we should be able to control our stock market better, since it is considered to be an oil driven market for the most part. Another benefit of this is more jobs.
If we expand our oil industry then will will start to build more refineries, and more drilling plants etc. every new factory or plant creates hundreds of jobs.
the part that sucks about offshore drilling is the potential for an accident. If something goes wrong we could destroy the ocean around our country.
So, in my opinion, we need to lift the ban but implement much more strict laws on the structure and safety of oil drilling, shipping and refining. With today’s technology, we should never have another oil incident again.
Plus, I’m really tired of gas prices, so i really want offshore drilling to help with that.
Drilling in our own states is a great idea. The only problem is that we have the resources to not have to use oil. Aside from that, America may as well drill in our own states to save money and to become more independent on our own resources. I know people are worried about the environment, so am I, but unfortunately it doesn’t show. Take our school for instance. Our parking lot is full of cars and some of the people driving to our school live in development next to the school, yet, they drive. And yes, some live much further away but that is why the school provides their own form of transportation: the bus. I know that is a terrible word to anyone that is going to middle school or high school, but it is a form of “carpooling” transportation. I admit I hate the bus, but I still ride it and I am going to be a senior. If Americans start using available resources such as these, the cost will be much less and so will the harm to the environment. Drilling on our own shores would be a good idea, but I still say we call using oil quits and use the technology of solar power, electric, and wind to get us places.
I believe that Pelosi’s statement about lifting the offshore drilling ban NOT making a difference in gas prices in the short or long run is incorrect. As I see it, it is a supply and demand issue. My question to the article would be, where would the offshore drilling occur? Alaska? Well, at least gas prices have dropped a little bit. But that’s not to say that they wont go up later, I think its a seasonal thing right now since gas is 10% ethanol in the winter, therefore using less oil. Who knows what prices will be next year? Our next president will have a heavy influence on the gas issue, and I hope whoever it will be makes the right decision. What I think we need to be doing is drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife preserves. Honestly, running a pipe through this territory isn’t intrusive to the animals, they actually like it. Those pipes are warm, therefore the animals can have a place to regulate their temperature a little bit. Or, you know, we could just work towards getting America off the drug we call oil and move towards alternative fuel sources. I’m kind of a believer in global warming, so that would be a good help.
I’m totally picking up what they are laying down. I support the decision to lift the ban cause we need to start producing more of our own oil. I like the idea that states get to choose whether they will have offshore drilling. One thing that I don’t get is the restriction on the Pacific Coast. Why can’t states on our side of the country have offshore drilling? If you ask me I’d say that our side is safer. If states put up a bunch of oil rigs out in the Atlantic Ocean and summer time rolls around and we have another hurricane like Hurricane Katrina, then I’m guessing that those oil rigs might be in danger. Over here on the Pacific, we don’t have hurricanes. So wouldn’t it be safer and more efficient to put some over here. What makes the East Coast better than the West Coast?
What do they mean by a ‘hoax’? Wouldn’t the ban being lifted and the bill being passed present an obvious statement that it’s going to happen? Even now that everyone is talking about it and politicians are using it as a major stronghold in their campaigns shows that it is probably going to be lifted.
In response to Ashley Rowe and Sean Blackburn…
I agree with Ashley with all your arguments for the environment. It’s true that offshore drilling and drilling in general always poses potential consequences on the natural ecology of the area and threatens the well-being of our other natural resources. The topic of oil spills and potential hazards should be highly put into consideration when deciding to drill. Which brings me to Sean’s argument… if we were to lift the ban, than the utmost concern should be put on implementing strict laws and safety/protective services concerning drilling, refining and shipping. I wish I could simply say we should just find alternative, safe energy and not depend on oil. But it is true that our economy and lives in general are very dependent on oil and alternative sources should be continually researched and invested in, yet the day when oil isn’t in use will never come it seems… unless we run out of it.
In response to Johanna
Johanna I think you have a great point. Our dependence on foreign oil is a real problem for our country. Take the situation with Georgia for example. Russia response to the attack on Ossetia was completely unproportionate but no other county the U.S. included reacted due to our dependence on Russian oil. Also, why put off tomorrow what you can do today. In eventuality, we as not only a nation, but as a world will have to move to an alternative fuel. Be it in ten years or ten thousand years something will have to be done. I suggest that we open up offshore drilling as a temporary fix but do not stop there. We have to move on from fossil fuels and step into a new age of fuel.
In response to Felicia, Bryce, and Austin:
Drilling offshore actually won’t help, so lifting the ban and going and drilling will just harm the environment but not bring the relief you seek. The earliest we could have the oil, if everything goes perfectly and on schedule, is 2013. And all it would do would be to lower the prices of a barrel of oil by fifty cents. That’s all. So, why should we spend all that money and damage offshore ecosystems, when it would not help at all? Also, we aren’t investing in alternative energy as much as we should. Carter started serious research, but it was cut down by Reagan to the level it is now. Serious research in alternative energy has been done mostly by independent groups, like universities. We could have had more alternative energy sources if government had invested more.
In response to Johanna, i totally agree that we need to make the resources of energy and wind to help us solve our problems, not oil and other harmful things. Even in Spokane, Washington we see those little electric run cars, and although they might be expensive, just think about the wonders they are doing to humanity and society. We aren’t killing anything at all by using wind and solar energy, we’re using the resources given to us. But on the other side of that, oil is not a man made substance, it is made naturally as well, but it does a greater harm to our air.
Well it sounds like a great idea. We can lower our gases prices, keep our coast looking good while the east coast may or may not be ruined by drilling while we reap the benefits. From that view of the whole thing it sounds good. But in the long run, which hopefully all of us high school yahoos will be around for, it won’t do any good like Pelosi said. We still have an energy crisis waiting for us with big hairy open arms. We need to find a balance that provides us with sustainable gas prices while developing, or i should say implementing new technology that allows us to decrease our dependence on that very crude liquid. Obama has talked about this same thing. We need to understand that oil won’t be around anymore, at least not for a few billion years, and that we need to start decreasing our usage. Also, moving straight into using pure solar power for everything or just nuclear energy is not a good idea. We need to have a mix of options. so in case one thing goes wrong, we don’t shut our nation out of being competitive.
The United States’ dependence on foreign oil is ridiculous. We have resources here in the states so why not use them? I know a great many people are against drilling in Alaska but I don’t see why the are. The total area for which this drilling plant would take up is as ginourmous as approximately… one square mile. Yes, it really would be THAT BIG. (Sarcastic tone is being used here:) I also think it quite sad that the only reason Pelosi is considering this bill is because the Republicans are getting something done about the energy crisis and the Democrats are not. (Another case of keeping up with the Jones’?) We do need to wean ourselves off foreign oil. Gas has finally begun to come down in price but who’s to say it won’t spike again in the near future? We owe it to our country to find energy sources here in the states that will keep costs down and bring jobs to the American people. The government has to help fund new energy programs and continue funding them until new sources are found. Without government backing, researchers will inevitably fail. What else is our government there for than to help boost our nation to become even better than it is now?
Nancy Pelosi sounds like a level headed woman, whom we should all take heed to what she has to say. I think offshore drilling would help us get out of this mini depression that our nation has sunk into. Firstly, starting to use our own resources would not only stop the dependence that we have upon other nations but also give us the push that our country so desparately needs to build self confidence and inspire new innovations. We have plunged into a hole, using others’ recources while we sit on our heels, not believing or not wanting to believe that we have everything we need in front of us. All it takes is somebody with a brain willing to put it to use. However, I don’t think we should use oil drilling as a longtime crutch. Using it to help us get back on our feet, we should ultimately begin to find new ways of alternate energy. But while that process could still take years, we must take all precautions to make this offshore drilling as safe to the workers and environment as we can. This obviously involves stricter laws,sacrifice and money, but to those that may be concerned think long term. Overall, this offshore oil drilling might just be the step we need to generate another new age of technology and innovations.
Responding to Johanna Stafford, I completely agree with you when you stated that people should be more sensitive to using their resources around them, including transportation. Having just returned form a summer trip to Germany, I was shocked and gratified at how efficient the Germans are at transportation besides gas guzzling cars. First of all, most everyone rode their bikes, either to work, school, or the grocery store. Secondly, buses, trains, and subways were another norm that everyone used to get places. Now you look at America and almost every family will have at least two to three cars. One for the mom, dad, and teenage driver. Now if that isn’t using up gas and crowding our streets, I don’t know what is. In America, the only people who use the city buses are usually the bums off the street or those who got their car invicted. Furthermore, we don’t even have a public train or trolley system not to mention simple bike paths. If we made more of an effort to get off the streets, utilizing our bikes and buses, we would see a cheaper, cleaner, less crowded downtown.
I can’t say I agree or disagree with lifting the off-shore drilling ban. Honestly I can see the good and the bad that would come out of both situations.
Pros would be we need relief. The gas prices are skyrocketing and we are so dependent on foreign countries, it is disgusting. Drilling on our own soil could help America in long the run, even if the drilling would only last a short amount of time. Plus lifting the drill ban doesn’t mean we are just going to start drilling like maniacs. It would probably start as a trial and error process and then see where it goes from there.
As far a cons go, there are many. First of all it would be hazardous to the environment and the wildlife around North America. Secondly starting off shore drilling isn’t going to make Americans any less dependent on oil, it may only make it worse because we are using out own. Plus as Pelosi pointed out, off shore drilling may not provide immediate relief for gas prices and it could move our focus away from acquiring alternative energy sources.
I like the idea of letting states decide for themselves, although that could get really messy and it may be easier in the long run if the government just makes the final decision.
This article was interesting and there are multiple things in this article that drew my interest. First, Speaker Pelosi has been opposed to lifting the ban on offshore drilling for awhile. The article says she will only schedule a vote on the bill if it threatens her or her party. I find that interesting. I think it would be stupid to suddenly turn around and say “oh, maybe your right” this just shows that you are not standing by your beliefs and that you are only concerned about protecting yourself. Secondly, I noticed she said that it would not lower gas prices immediately and may have a negative affect on energy costs. Ok that’s cool; maybe the bill shouldn’t go if that is what it will do. I think offshore drilling would just increase our dependence on oil and it makes no further in roads towards alternative energy sources. I believe that we are too dependant on oil right now and we need to put much more focus on researching alternative energy sources. The only thing I liked about the way the bill was described was that it would give states a choice. This helps to show that energy decisions aren’t just made at the federal level, states will have a say too. It will be interesting to see the energy bills and decisions that come out of this.
First of all this article shows how selfish and corrupt Nancy Pelosi is. She has been against offshore drilling and now because this issue is threatening her party she decides to change her mind on the issue instead of thinking for herself on the issue. I can’t stand politicians that vote depending on how their party stands or what will give them more votes. As Hardball states, politicians must do this in order to rise to the top. I would also like to celebrate that America has cut its gas consumptions by five percent and the price of gas is going down. America needs to lessen its dependence on foreign oil. Offshore drilling does lessens our dependence. Is offshore drilling the best option for lessening our dependence on oil? I don’t know. If it is then let’s do it. There should be limitations on the offshore drilling and drillers should not be able to drill everywhere they like. There also should be expectations and regulations for drilling so that it is done cleanly and does not hurt the environment as much. Alternative energy is also very important. The government needs to be spending its money on research programs to find these. It is interesting to note that both presidential candidates approve of offshore drilling.
I think that America’s number one priority when it comes to energy should be investing in alternative energy sources and studies. Gasoline is not only absurdly expensive, it is having a clearly negative impact on our environment. With sources like solar and nuclear energy becoming a near reality, it would make sense to put most of our time and energy into advancing these options. Establishing usable alternative sources could greatly reduce the negative impact of the power industry on our environment while decreasing or eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. That said, American offshore drilling would be a great intermediate step while we wait for new resources to become widely available. Even though it may not lower gas prices dramatically, at this point every little bit counts. When gas prices increase by as little as a few cents per gallon, complaints are everywhere. Lowering the price by even a tiny increment would be appreciated. Also, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil would be wonderful. Although I, personally, feel that Pelosi is simply fighting for approval, I agree that lifting the drilling ban while investing in alternative energy sources seems to be one of the most effective solutions to our current energy crisis.
It’s been just about 40 years since the Santa Barbara blew a precious gasket, spilled 200,000 gallons of highly lethal black oil over 800 square miles of ocean, and wasted 35 miles of coastline. True, that was a complete punch to the kidneys, but again: it’s been 40 years. Technology has advanced so much further beyond that. Those types of accidents are archaic in today’s always advancing technological world. What is all of this technology supposed to be used for? We need to utilize every asset we have before we as a nation go plummeting out of control! These are the opportunities that we need! Oil?! In our backyard and we’re not drilling?! What?! Are you DAFT? It’s like getting an extra credit option and passing it up.
(See that Mr. Kautzman? Premium brown nosin’… I like it, I like it a lot, good argument – Kautzman
It just seems like such a shame to see us wasting prime resources because of a past scare. Get back on the bike congress! Heck we all might need to hop on one considering these prices… But really. I know it won’t do much, but every little bit counts. In truth, the main reason why we won’t drill is because nobody is motivated. It’s not the cheapest oil, so Congress just ignores it. Well… We kind of need it.
Here’s the big problem with offshore drilling: it’s not going to effect change for at least five years. We can whine about high oil prices all we want. But we will not see any oil for at least five years if we lift the ban. I think that letting states decide is a good idea because someone in Chicago might want to drill off of Santa Cruz so that their oil prices drop, but someone in Santa Cruz might want to retain the environment of their beach. The people who live where oil spills can affect them should be the ones choosing. The other problem with all this talk about not drilling and investing in alternative fuels and energies is that it is just that: talk. All anyone ever does is discuss. I say that Capitol Hill needs to be pressured to take action, and that they have no good reason to take weeks of recess at time like this. We are on the edge of a crisis, and no one is taking action. That is the biggest blunder in this whole mess. Moral of the story: shut up, make a decision, and get to work. We need to invest in alternative fuels now. If we’re going to drill offshore, we need to do it now. We know the pros and the cons; it’s all anyone talks about these days. Put it to a vote now.
I despise Nancy Pelosi. She seems to me to be a big moron. She wines about off shore drilling having “negligible” effects on gasoline prices and trying to pin the push for off shore drilling as a McCain-Bush plan to help McCain get elected President. everybody in our country wants gasoline prices to drop, and the only way to lower prices is to increase supply or lower demand, and believe me we cannot decrease demand for oil. Does Nancy really want whats best for the people, or just he fellow Democratic bigwigs? I think she cares more about the latter than the former.
Another thing, Nancy says that off shore drilling will have “have a negligible effect on energy costs at potential risk to the environment.” Big woopdy doo. A Potential risk to the environment? Please Nancy, lets be realistic, you endanger the environment every time you start you car, but do you stop using the automobile just because of a few green house gases? And also, she wants to do away with the tax breaks for oil companies. I think that she thinks that charging the oil men more will get them to charge us, the consumers, less money for their oil. She must be stupid cause taxing the snot out of any businessman will only force him to raise his prices, not lower them. She thinks she is doing us a favor, but really she is just helping the oil prices go up and up and up and away like Superman.
In response to Johana:
If we use buses and bikes and our own two legs the price of oil will not change very much, because China and India and our own military (which I love to death) will eat up all that “unused” oil that we carpooling, bus riding citizens would have used had we stuck with our old methods of transportation. And I highly doubt that we have the resources to “not use oil”. Every tank, jet, bomber and humvee runs off the stuff, and thank God Almighty we have as many tanks, jets, bombers and humvees that we do otherwise that Chinese invasion would be coming around a lot sooner.
I totally have to agree with Alena S., because people are only complaining about high gas and that we need to drill for more oil. We need to invest in alternative fuel sources that can help lower our dependency on foreign oil. It is ridiculous that Pelosi called recess, because now nothing is being done to help with the rising cost of fuel. We need a vote on this matter and get it done! Sitting around doing nothing isn’t helping American’s with the cost of gas. Alternative energy is the best answer, because drilling will only cause more problems for the environment. The government needs to provide more funding for alternative energy sources, rather than investing in more oil drilling. Pelosi needs to stop calling recess, and they should be voting on the issues now!
We need to lower our dependence on the Middle East and Russia for our oil. They control our prices. They control the “supply”. Have you seen the palaces of some of the Middle Eastern oil masters? Beyond extravagant. $100 billion-plus profits are too much for oil companies. Several things need to change quickly in our country, and one thing is the need for offshore drilling.
Our country has come a long way since the last oil spill. Many advancements and technologies have come into play. As my older brother is a qualified, commercial underwater diver, he has told me of the oil spills that have occurred and the preventions implemented since then to assure they will never happen again.
Also, we need to lower our gas prices. In the meantime, we can concentrate on alternative fuels. Of course we all want that. But who wants to pay $4 a gallon for gas? For those of you that say it will not lower gas prices for five years, that’s merely speculation. Nobody knows for sure. As a matter of fact, if confidence in America’s energy plan goes up, gas prices will go down. Gas prices, nowadays, are actually somewhat independent of oil prices and more dependent on pure speculation and fear.
Can I just say that I ADORE my green Jeep Cherokee Laredo that I so affectionaly named Gilbert.However, my dearest Gilbert is a bit of a gas hog. Therefore I am willing to do most anything it takes to lower there horrific gas prices. I mean really, 4 dollars??? Thats 4 songs on iTunes. A Keva juice. A whole meal at pretty much any fast food resteraunt. 4 dollars is too much. If we have all these natural resources here why aren’t we suing them?? Think about it- our dependency on foreing goods is ludicrus. Imagine if everybody decided to boycott America. It would work. We would have nothing. Absolutely nothing. We would be in despair. Anything we can do to start minimizing our dependency on other countries we need to do so, immedietly. Don’t get me wrong, either. I’m all for the environment (I’m a hippie at heart). Let’s use those resources such as hydrogen, wind ond solar power. But whatever we do, we need to stop depending on other countries as little as we can.
I wonder why Polosi is chooseing now to consider off shore drilling? Is it because she has no constitution and olny does what she thinks people will like?
Well no matter at least we are closer to getting real solution. Or at least it would seem. If we are looking for reducing forign oil dependancy then yes this will help. With all of the sestrictions she is putting on it I wonder if anything will happe. If what she proposes passes then good luck with lowering gas prices “Democrats are expected to insist that any bill include some of their priorities, such as the repeal of oil industry tax breaks…” Oh, so now gas companies have to pay more? Thanks, now our prices will stay up.
It seems that her drilling proposal is made to pease, an outer shell with no meat. If the left would quit putting so many restrictions (like drilling, Iraq. “oh look nothing the Republicans are doing works” I wonder why that is, maybe because you wont let them try) then maybe things would get done.
I hope we drill, and dont drown oil companies in taxes. I letdrilling pass without tagging on all the crap that makes it pointless.
Alena- The only problem is that the entire country is affected by these oil prices. We can’t justifiably allow a small community to decide for our entire nation. And although the improvement may be small, it still is needed. Americans complain and whine when the price goes up two cents but when it goes down two it isn’t good enough? Hardly fair. And as for the actual damaging of the ecosystem; it won’t be the same as 40 years ago. Technology has advanced. Although the consequences would be devastating, the risk is no longer as imminent.
Plus I’m broke as a joke, and driving a 12 m.p.g. car makes you grasp at every dollar you see…
In response to Ashley Rowe:
I’ll have you know that natural oil seepage happens all the time and earth has a natural way of cleaning it. So your statement “If a spill occurs it costs millions of dollars to clean up, and the damage done is permanent.” is false, damage is reversible.
I’m sorry if fish have to move, there are countless reasons why a fish would have to move most not human related. Fish moving away form a couple places won’t make them extinct. And who the heck swims near giant drilling machines? Whoever that person is deserves oil-poisoning for being so stupid.
The fishing market won’t change. You make it sound as if there will be no fish left in the world. If a fisherman can’t catch fish because they moved then he doesn’t deserve money. This sounds like a jab for another argument, it has no basis.
Last thing. “Also, it would cost the US government millions of dollars to build oil rigs for offshore drilling.” Are you seriouse? How much do you think that we will save. I don’t know who pays for drilling but it would seem worth it to me.
But drilling will take 5 years to work. SO at least it will work, new technology is not a sure thing, oil is. The money is worth not having to pay other counties, which is very costy. They have the ability to controll us. I don’t know about you but I would like America to depend on America.
P.S. Your long postings are a bit daunting. Try slimming them down so I don’t have to read an essay before being right.
In response to Cody Thompson:
Cody you really hit the nail on the head. There isn’t really any reason we are not drilling. There is a slight environmental concern, but lets be honest, when has the environment ever got in the way of anything the U.S wants? I mean didn’t we detonate a nuclear bomb in New Mexico? The prices may not immediately drop, but at the same time more oil on the market certainly won’t hurt anything, and now the speculators can’t complain about oil running out anytime soon. So yes I think we should look past the environment for the 128941248912-48124-89124 time and go ahead and do what we want.
I don’t honestly have very strong opinions on this. I hate paying the high gas prices just as much as the next person, but offshore drilling might not be the best answer. If Pelosi is right and if the results we see from lifting the ban will be 5 or more years into the future and they might not be as much as a relief as we want then maybe we should take the money we’d spend on off shore drilling and put more money adn effort into alternative energy sources. Because lets face it rigt now all America right now really is just talking and while we talk about lifting bans and solar this or bio that or wind or what other forms of alternative energy someone has come up with in the end its still just talk with little to show for the talk. Our high gas prices are bad but they even if they were a couple dollars higher they wouldn’t be that big of a deal if it wasn’t for the size of our country and our dependancy on cars. In European countries everything seems to be a lot closer so you can walk here or walk there. But here if I were to walk to work it would take me anywhere from 1-2hrs because I work all the way in Shadle. I wish we could depend on cars less but unfortunately geographically we really can’t. So we need to do less talking and more doing if anything in the US is going to change.
As I understand things, we can expect prices to drop anyway, with or without drilling. The rise in oil prices can be ascribed to intially limited production capability, coupled with increased demand from growing nations like China. This led to prices that weren’t based on actual production costs, but rather, buyers themselves setting the price. However, with these immensely high prices, demand is slowly lowering, with driving habits being changed, gas guzzlers selling less and less, etc. Shawn Tully, an editor at CNN.com, likens it to the housing market crash. Laws that prevented enough housing being built in California and other states sparked an immense rise in prices. Eager buyers were the cause, eventually causing such high prices that it became prohibitive to buy them. Given the production is increasing to take advantage of these new high prices, we can probably expect prices to lower, as supply increases. Why we would ever begin drilling in a short-sighted attempt to lower prices when they’ll take care of themselves is a source of confusion for me. Rather than trying to make the smart alternative energy investment that won’t be realized for at least a few decades, politicians are caving to political pressure to be the short-sighted Superman of the now, charging in for an abortive attempt to fix what’s fixing itself. I agree with Pelosi on how it’s unlikely to do anything now, or do anything but risk harm to our environment. With all the inter party bickering, it’s unlikely that anything meaningful would be done anyway.
So there are more spots to drill then Alaska, which by the way has a average gas price of $4.50, to get oil and our gas prices are how high? $3.93 is the lowest that I have seen for a long time and believe me I’ve looked. Seriously though. If we know that we can get more oil and we know that it will decrease the crazy high gas prices, then what is to stop every state in the U.S., except for maybe Texas where it is like $3.50 and under, from voting DUR, I mean YES. Somebody didn’t think that one though. Sure you might get a few of those animal freaks (sorry) who would say, “save the animals, don’t drill.” And then you would get the people who would laugh and wonder if the animals are the ones who are filling that guys tank and if so hook me up. The politicians who said they would let the states vote were really not thinking. I like the idea, but they should have saved time and just put a big GO AHEAD AND DRILL stamp on the bill because no state is going to say no to lowering the average $3.69 price of gas.
So Pelosi is flipping her position now. I guess Obama telling everyone just to inflate their tires really stirred things up. Liberals are always trying to please people emotionally instead of thinking logically. The article says that democrats want a bill that will cut the tax breaks to the oil companies. Doesn’t that sound wonderful!! The big evil oil companies aren’t going to get their tax breaks anymore! Well they are going to want to keep their profits up. So they are going to raise prices, lay off people, lower wages, or send even more jobs overseas. What sounds good may not always be the best solution.
Also I don’t think we should tap into the strategic oil reserve because that is for emergency and military use, and to use it now could be a very bad move in the future. What I think we should do is start drilling everywhere so we can to set up the infrastructure to sustain ourselves. We should still buy oil heavily from where we are now as to use up their supply first. Then if we run into any problems in the future and they cut off our oil supply there we will be ready to go here.
We should all ride our bicycles everyday until gasoline companies are forced to lower their prices. If they don’t sell gas, they don’t make money. Why does everybody complain about high gas prices and yet do nothing to change it. Drilling for oil will only give the oil companies more oil. Why should they lower their prices when they know the stupid American will pay four dollars a gallon for it? I like Washington, because it has much trees and nature stuffs in it that are nice to look at. If we drill for oil here, we will destroy these things.
Also, to go back on my bicycle solution, that may make our many fat people less fat as well. Not only would it make them less fat, it would make them less lazy as well, perhaps giving them an unlazy mindset. Off of this newly formed mindset would give them the initiative to do things that they normally wouldn’t do (Blogs?). This would solve two birds with one rock.
Even though this isn’t really about the article fully, it does have good points you must agree.
In response to Kyle,
The gas prices are NOT going to drop just by waiting it out. We can’t expect that the prices of gas wouldn’t be effected weather we drill or not. The truth of the matter is that YES the prices will drop temporarily if we drill. We should still continue alternative research for sources of energy, but if the oil is lying there waiting for the take, then lets do it already! Until we get that alternate energy or mass-transit, our gas is only going to go up. So sorry to the animal environmentalists, but really, there is no better alternative for right now.
And p.s. to the animal environmentalists- if you want to make a stink about animals dying then why are you only attacking the oil companies? If you really want to make a case, start attacking the hunters and blame the animals (particularly deer) for jumping out in front of cars on the highways. Just ask my mother; she’s had 8 suicidal deer that have totaled all 8 of her cars in the last 10 years.
With gas prices finally under 4 dollars a gallon, who wouldn’t want for drilling if the price of gas is going down. But I also think that we should focus not only on off shore drilling but other sources of energy. It seems that we are one of the only nations of the powerful ones in the world who is still focused on using gas and has no intention of finding alternative measures of energy. I say yes let the states along the coast decide if they want to allow the off shore drilling but also have the inter states work on finding some other source. The Coastal states are the minority, if we get all the interior states to work on producing other forms of energy we have a great chance of producing something than finding oil that will last. China had hydro cars on the course for the Olympic men’s marathon, my first thought was when does the US step up and start with some of there own. I know we have Hybrids and those cars but have you seen the price to replace a battery if they die. It’s through the roof, costs more than it would for me to fill up my 2-17 gallon tanks on my truck at $3.95 (which isn’t cheap). Why can’t we as Americans put aside the idea of more oil for gas and start thinking more along the lines of what other energy source we can use.
I think it’s a pity to have the resources and not use them. We should drill off-shore around our country. But, like Pelosi states, I think it should be part of a bigger plan. We should utilize our resources until we have the means to power our country another way. This would allow us to lessen our dependency on other countries for oil. If we were to lessen our dependency, our stock market would be more controlled and stable, and we could focus on researching and developing other fuels.
Of course, oil spills and other hazards need to be addressed – but this does not mean we can’t drill offshore. Like Felica states, our country houses many brilliant people who I am sure can improve the drilling system. We must not, however, fool ourselves into thinking accidents will never happen. There is always going to be the risk of oil spills, even if a system were developed that would technically stop this from happening – somehow, there will always be a freak accident. That is another reason why offshore drilling should be part of a bigger plan. We need to develop better resources to protect the environment and help us as people.
In Response to Alexa:
Why are so many people concerned with prophesized environmental damage? Yes, as long as there is oil there will be spills but the U.S. is a whole lot cleaner than say how China drills. I agree that we should set up offshore drilling while continuing to search for alternative energy sources. We will never get away from oil, but if we can help our country better support itself more completely then that is a plus in my book. I don’t think that we should get too far away from buying oil from other countries right now because we still have a lot of work to do, and it is best to use everyone else’s supply first so we can still use ours if the time calls for it.
In response to Jonathan’s response:
If I am understanding you correctly, it is okay to harm the environment of a countries you don’t live in, but it isn’t okay to harm ours? I definitely do not want to harm to environment, but think about those countries who drill oil for us and their environment. This would allow them to cut back until we do use our alternative available resources. In other words, cut back on the massive pollution in their environment and only drill here for a couple of years until switching to a different resource becomes the “smart” idea.
I really like the idea of letting states decide if they want to participate in offshore drilling. They’re the ones who are going to be affected by it the most. There is a huge risk of an accident happening, and the environment around there being destroyed. If a state doesn’t want that, then they should feel free to decide that for themselves. These states don’t want big states from the middle of the country telling them that they have to drill off of their shores, and possibly wreck their environment, because if that happens, the states in the middle will feel no adverse affects. I don’t believe that a state should be forced to do something that could potentially be harmful to their land. I do think though that offshore drilling can be beneficial. It can help lower our high gas prices, and it can hopefully lessen our dependence on the Middle East, and foreign oil. If we do look into offshore drilling, then we need to make sure that there are strict regulations, and that people are very careful, because the risk of an accident is so high. We could potentially ruin the oceans around our country, and ruin the eco-system, and affect not only us, but the rest of the world. This isn’t an easy decision that one can just make over night. There are pros and cons that need to be taken into consideration before any major decision is made.