NY Times: Bush Will Seek to End Offshore Oil Drilling Ban

[SonAta]

The soaring oil prices are affecting the costs of everything from food to gas. There are also significant issues on local and global environmental impact. While there are many issues, we need to look at our next leader and determine which will have the best course of action going forward…..I recently watch the two video in Pollclash about this issue, Obama and McCain talk about this…

[spaceboy761]

The oil companies don't even use 80% of the much more accessible land that's already been handed to them by the gov't. Why the hell do they now need this less cost-effective way to drill for oil that they can't refine?

Election year pandering at its best...

[skidoc]

OK, fact #1 - if we opened every single hectare of land (Alaska and off-shore) to oil drilling today we would not see gasoline from said drilling until 2017 @ the freakin earliest.

would speculation about increasing supply drop gasoline prices - yes it would, ~ 2014, when gasoline will be $9-$10/GAL or more.

the answer isn't more oil or gasoline. anyone who thinks it is defines themselves as reactionary and lacking foresight.

[bluffmanxx]

as it is we actually produce 25% of the oil we consume in the U.S. taking steps now to increase that percentage makes sense. there are two ways to increase it...first, increase our supply and second decrease our use by developing alternatives. energy policy has been fucked up since...oh...at least the Carter administration when the U.S. began to phase out new construction and research on such things as nuclear power and new refineries while making a half assed attempt at developing alternatives that were not even close to being financially viable.

any solution has to approach the problem on all 3 fronts. increase domestic supply. reduce consumption. develop alternatives.

[Ezfingers]

I agree with skidoc on this one. Finding more oil will never solve the problem. Doug, I was watching cnn the other day and believe they said we produce only 18% of what we consume. They also said theres major amounts of oil under LA. Do we start drilling there also? I saw Mcain was suggesting rewarding 300million to anyone that develops a better car battery than we have now. I feel ideas like that are worthy.

I realize this idea would be hard to implement. It also wouldnt get a very good reaction from the international community. But when lately does the administration care what other countries think? Why don't we analyze what food etc the opec countries import from us. REALLY jack up the prices while giving them major shortages also. Lets them feel some heat!!

[bluffmanxx]

Originally Posted by Ezfingers

I agree with skidoc on this one. Finding more oil will never solve the problem. Doug, I was watching cnn the other day and believe they said we produce only 18% of what we consume. They also said theres major amounts of oil under LA. Do we start drilling there also? I saw Mcain was suggesting rewarding 300million to anyone that develops a better car battery than we have now. I feel ideas like that are worthy.

I realize this idea would be hard to implement. It also wouldnt get a very good reaction from the international community. But when lately does the administration care what other countries think? Why don't we analyze what food etc the opec countries import from us. REALLY jack up the prices while giving them major shortages also. Lets them feel some heat!!

EZ, the problem with battery powered cars is that they use electricity that's generated from coal fired power plants. it's not a free ride. if we did a 100% changeover the power grid would collapse without significant upgrades and increase in capacity. that's why i said that the problem must be solved by attacking it from every angle.

BTW, i agree that drilling alone would not solve our problem...but it IS a part of the solution. better a few polar bears and caribou die than the millions of people who would die if we jacked up prices on food exports

[spaceboy761]

Dude, you would just market and sell all of the extra polar bear and caribou meat to keep food prices down. Sometimes you have to THINK about this shit.

Also, penguins are totally next once the polar bears and caribou die off. I don't care how cute they were in March of the Penguins... march right into my teriyaki marinade, you fuckers. Morgan Freeman can't save you now.

[spaceboy761]

I'll work on the marketing campaign:

Polar Bear: Given the chance, they would eat you too.

[bluffmanxx]

Originally Posted by spaceboy761

I'll work on the marketing campaign:

Polar Bear: Given the chance, they would eat you too.

[bluffmanxx]

The 'Idle' Oil Field Fallacy

Because a lease is not producing, critics tag it as "idle" when, in reality, it is typically being actively explored and developed. Multiply these real-world circumstances by hundreds or thousands of leases, and you end up with the seemingly damning but inaccurate figures our critics cite.

Today's short-term need was yesterday's long-term opportunity. If Congress had acted on that opportunity years ago, America would not be in the energy bind it finds itself in today.