Why doesn’t the Democrats allow more offshore oil drilling?
Because the Democrats do not allow offshore drilling. Bill Clinton refused to sign a bill to allow offshore drilling in the 90’s. Again, today, the democrats are not allowing it.
And yes, US has lots of oil.
Their usual answer is that we have to protect our environment and wildlife. So, it is OK to use other nations oil, screw their environment and screw their wildlife. As if US’s environment is different than other other parts of the world. Who would be a moron to believe that kind of an answer???
If US starts using more of it’s own oil and gas, we will save about 0 billion dollars a year, and this money can help to pay off US debt.
The other answer the Democrats have is that we have to use alternative sources like wind and solar. That is fine with me, but right now, how can our ships, cars and planes operate with wind and solar… Helloooooooo!!!
People are so naive in this country to buy this BS of alternative energy. The Deomocrats are just trying to get the votes from the morons!
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
Alot of people do not realize how far the drilling industry has come. The drilling rigs of today are much more environmentally friendly than they were in yester-year. Even when we go into foreign nations, we still have to abide by regulations, I know of one location on water that they have a 0% discharge regulation, absolutely nothing can be discharged into the water, which is manageable. People just want something to complain about.
There is no reason why we cannot drill for our own oil AND work on developing alternative energy sources. For some reason some people seem to think we can only do one or the other.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
congress and Obama have said they are for more offshore drilling
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
B/c they get large donations from the Sierra Club
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
They think that caribou vote.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
We don’t have that much oil, compared to the world supply…
Oil is sold on the open market to the highest bidder…supply and demand.
So you are in favor of nationalizing the US oil industry, then?…that is the only way to keep "our" oil here, you realize…
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
You know, the biggest contradiction I find is Conservatives;
Here’s a definition:
Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.
Tending to oppose change – yet we hear McCain claiming he will bring change.
The conservative use of natural resources – yet McCain and Palin want to plunder the remaining oil.
Bizarre isn’t it ???
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
the feesh!
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
Driil?
Sure, let the oil companies contiue to rape us and our environment while they make billions, if you throw in a couple drills you may get a few barrells of oil and they may drop the price of oil by pennies, IN TEN YEARS.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
Ho-Hum. This question is so last week. On Friday, a Democrat-led bill sponsored by Pelosi was passed allowing increased drilling. The bill also provides an increase in tax incentives for alternative energy solutions.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
yep!
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
My guess would be the Democrat leadership has their own reasons, and most likely those reasons are selfish.
However, the same can be said for Republican leadership. So forget their motives, both are wrong.
Look at the problem itself. The truth is that offshore drilling will take at least 7 years and probably closer to 10 years to even begin to come out of the ground, then another few years to refine it to something usable. So its not a short term solution.
There is also very little oil compared to what we use. You are right that there is plenty of oil down there, but we use far more than we probably should. There is actually only about 5 years worth of barrels of oil for American use. Because of how much we use, we’d actually go through what’s available in 5 years or less. So its not really a longterm solution either.
Besides, the problem is not really in supply. There is plenty of supply. The problem is in investors, but not American investors.
What happened is the huge rise in the National Debt. Bush got into a war, but refuses to raise the funds to fight it (taxes). He has to pay for it somehow, so he does so by borrowing from other countries. That has sent the National Debt through the roof; which, in turn, has sent the dollar into a meteoric freefall.
At the same time, the euro has gained greatly in value. Well, oil is measured in dollars. So when the value of the dollar dropped, it became much cheaper to buy oil with a euro; while at the same time it became far more profitable to buy oil with the euro.
Its European investors that did this. They saw an opportunity to buy much more oil futures with the same amount of money, and to make a huge profit off of it. So they were buying up oil futures left and right, and even as the price went up they kept buying because they could still make so much more.
That is where the problem came; not in supply but in value of that supply to European investors. We don’t need to drill to fix the problem, we need to fix the dollar. And to do that, we have to pay off the National Debt. This will make oil a much less attractive investment to foreign investors and they’ll quit buying it up.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
I watched the legendary oil man T Boone Pickens who heads BP Capital Management on Lou Dobbs a few weeks ago. T Boone said that The 250 trillion in the offshore is MYTH. It is not there.
The Energy Dept Reserve estimates are way off basically because the way they estimate their reserves makes it look like much more is there than actually there. And The Energy Dept of Reserve estimates off the east and west coast is 86 billion. but they dont say "in place oil". "in place" means its there and you can recover 30% of it because thats how oil fields are.
but there arent 86 in place! T Boone Pickens says the most you’d be lucky to get is 2 billion or a little more, not 86 billion. Anwar 4 billion barrels. so when you add up Anwar and east and west coast The Energy Dept estimates 100 billion barrels but T Boone comes up with 10 billion. a whole 10 percent of their estimates!!
about your comments…
Someone has to start choosing an alternative route for alternative fuel. Pointing the finger and saying you arent doing it wont solve anyone’s natural crises. Europe is looking into it. Of course those that drill their own oil for other countries would be the most reluctant to stop, because all the other countries depend on ONLY them! and that is messing the earth up with just them. we dont need to add more oil drills anywhere. At this point with hurricanes, tornadoes, and natural disaters, we need to focus on a new plan that will save our money, provide jobs and help not hurt the planet, like wind, solar and bio fuel. There are already COMPANIES that use these alternative energies, because its alternative, not the primary or mandatory like oil. As far as planes and ships, thats what scientists and engineers get paid for.
I see solar powered cars in Atlanta all the time.
ls
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:21 am
According to the GAO, the rate of drilling has doubled over the last 8 years. Domestic production continues to decline, unaffected by the increased drilling, by a steady 2 – 3 % / year. These are exactly the reasoning that Pickens sites, when he says that we can’t drill our way out of the problem. It doesn’t mean don’t drill, we already are, but that is a poor chance of addressing the problem. Last time I checked, he was a Republican.
I have seen and ridden in CNG vehicles, both here in this country and overseas. There are about 2 thousand here, mostly taxicabs, and fleet vehicles (cars and trucks) of various local natural gas retailers. There are about 200,000 worldwide, growing at a healthy clip. The technology is no real challenge, a standard ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) is used, with a different fuel injection system, and pressurized tank for fuel (stored as liquid: CNG is a gas @ atmospheric pressure.) It is even possible to refuel at home, with a NG compressor, but central refueling stations will likely be the used far more.
Retooling Detroit to produce CNG cars here will:
1. Keep people employed here
2. Reduce pollution
3. Slow down the rate of $$$$ that Pickens sites, leaving the US. Keep the $$$ here; we will need it.
4. Stop fighting wars to ensure oil supplies.
5. Move in the direction of being able to tell the Arabs what they can do with their oil.
Oil will part of the mix for decades to come, but we need to start walking away from it, for these and other excellent reasons.
So, the short answer, we would if could, but we can’t (well, just a little).
Unless you think that one of the wealthiest oilmen in the country is naive and moronic ?