In the Interest of Balance
Dave Or Not Dave Wonders Why We Would Drill for Oil
Apparently Dave or Not Dave disagrees with the YouTube clip that was posted last week about the ANWAR drilling. All points of view are welcome here, so let’s have a listen and if anyone wants to answer his question, go for it. (Politely. I’ve had enough negative schoolyard crap for one week.)
Dave or Not Dave Writes
I would love to actually see what the logic is behind
why Offshore drilling is such a great idea. Even at an
optimistic delivery rate of two million barrels a day
that is less than ten percent of our CURRENT daily
consumption. And the oil industry’s best guest
predictions suggest less than ten years worth of
viable production. We have no energy policy to speak
of, so it doesn’t fit into any particular strategy. By
itself it is a ruse. It does nothing of value to use
up oil that is inside our national borders at this
point in time. With Peak Oil having been or soon to be
realized, that oil is a strategic natural resource,
one that is limited and one that is likely going to be
the motive behind the next biggest international
confrontation. Leave it where we can get it and defend
it when we actually need it. To do otherwise is wildly
shortsighted and borders on treason – the kind the GOP
seems to support at every turn – selling America to
the highest bidder, provided the profits come in by
the next quarter and they accrue to the next round of
corporate fat cat bonuses.
Rog Replies: Thanks for the thought DOND. Obviously political cheerleading aside you seem to argue against your point at least once. If, as you suggest, the next great confrontation will be fought over the oil we already have, then why would we NOT be preparing to drill for it? Depending on which side you believe, getting oil from off-shore drilling, ANWAR or from the contiguous 48 will take 3 to 10 years. If something happens and the flow of oil is cut off then we should be prepared to do for ourselves.
Beyond that there are good reasons to drill in your own questions. Going with your numbers, a 10% domestic production reduces our foreign consumption by that same 10%. Not worth it? I would beg to differ. 10% makes a huge difference. And what is the down side to that? That doesn’t even take into consideration the jobs created by domestic and off shore drilling. Overlooking that factor would be a major mistake.
Like it or not we DO have an energy policy. In 2002 when President Bush first pushed the idea of conversation, critics from the Left attacked THAT idea as wrong-headed. These same people now want to force conservation through mandated technology (by increasing required MPG, further crippling the already near-dead US auto-making industry), environmental regulation (Assuring that we will NEVER be energy independent) and increased spending. (Giving over to the Feds what private business is already spending building developing.) We need an energy policy that is forward thinking as well as realistic. Yes, pursue alternative energy. (Why does new construction in the sun belt not automatically include solar?) Yes, teach conservation. Using less is a good thing on all levels. Yes, explore domestic energy production. Oil, coal, solar, nuclear should all be on the table domestically. Until the “next thing” comes along, we need to do all we can to conserve and produce. That isn’t a right or left thing, that’s just the right thing.
