Why More Drilling is Not the Answer

Comment #14

Tenaj — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:31:50 GMT

Whether it's concerning supply and demand, a war, the mortgage industry, Dow Jones, the US dollar, insurance and drug industries, outsourcing jobs, immigration, food and of course oil. All with the help of the Federal Reserve and banks. All the things that bring big pockets. It's no excuse because how it should work is taught in middle school. It's self - serving greedy political corruption and has always been. It's human nature gone amuck. But it's never been this bad in... [ More ]

Comment #13

pacattack05 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:37:17 GMT

I think they all stink, both sides. We need to start a new party called the "common sense" party. And I believe we all know why that will never ever happen.

Comment #12

Todd — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:42:57 GMT

I remember the gas lines very well myself: only being able to go on certain days to get gas, depending on what letter your license plate started with; red, yellow, or green flags outside gas stations indicating if they were sold out of gas; getting used to sitting in long lines waiting. I also don't forget how we got there: we had the worst president in history who made critical errors. Carter is largely responsible for the Ayatollah taking over in Iran, and for allowing our... [ More ]

Comment #11

Tenaj — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:09:39 GMT

So I'll just repeat cause you are stuck on politics rather than the issue: It's what Bush and McCain wants and we know Bush's track record and who benefits from anything he puts forth - the big companies (there is always a hidden agenda - even with the war) - the oil companies will still be the ones making the profits and it will be 10 years or later before gas prices goes down. Drilling domestically should have been started many decades ago. But the oil companies and... [ More ]

Comment #10

Todd — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:10:41 GMT

If your "typical conservative" means saying something that's based on facts and logic, then I accept. Funny how you say "Bush and McCain", just like liberal talking points. "Typical liberal." Do you have an independent thought to offer? Everything you say has been recently stated by Barack Obama, who is the guy you said was too inexperienced to be President. Yup, sounds like you're tying to settle in to support the guy you said you wouldn't support. "Typ... [ More ]

Comment #9

jackpotismine — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:02:12 GMT

I think that if we make solar power and wind power cheap and available in addition to using oil, that would solve the problem. We can make solar cars. Solar homes. Cars that run on water instead of gas. The sad part is that we don't want to because it would not be profitable for the greedy people. Imagine charging for using the Sun or the Wind? It's all a sham.

Comment #8

Tenaj — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:41:31 GMT

Drilling domestically should have been started many decades ago. But the oil companies and politicians couldn't have been able to put us where we are today if it had happened. They have done it before. I was right there in the gas line in the 70s. This ain't new just worst. Yes, drill domestically but get the big oil companies greedy hands out of it. So I repeat. The oil companies already have millions of acres allocated to them that they have not gotten around to... [ More ]

Comment #7

pacattack05 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:26:18 GMT

It's one thing to have a fee market, but somewhere along the way people in power should recognize the effect on the economy and put a stop to this madness. Just like Bill Gates had to prove his case with the monopoly laws, so should the oil big wigs. Deregulation was a bad idea.

Comment #6

Todd — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:08:13 GMT

Accomplishing this has less to do with the actual volume of oil that comes out of the ground, believe it or not. This is pretty basic stuff, but I'll assume for the moment that you have never heard this. It has to do with *perception* and *worst-case scenarios* for what can happen in the future, from the perspective of the foreign countries. If they are worried about competition, the price will drop. The reason many liberals don't understand this is that they hate a... [ More ]

Comment #5

truecritic — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:53:23 GMT

I haven't heard anything regarding what gas will cost once they drill domestically. I just know what will happen. You don't believe Oil Companies are charging too much for gas? You believe they have a right to make obscene profits? You don't think the oil companies are breaking the antitrust laws? There is no real competition between oil companies - never has been - otherwise one or more would step up and lower gas prices drastically.<br... [ More ]

Comment #4

pacattack05 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:42:51 GMT

There are a lot of intelligent people out there who think there is nothing else they can learn. It's a very dangerous trap. My employer is one of them. He thinks nothing is done behind closed doors, and the welfare of the American people are at the top priorities among the ploiticians. I just don't get it. After numerous, and continuous exposure of corruption being doled out everday worldwide, one might think most people would by now have a good idea about how the choices are re... [ More ]

Comment #3

truecritic — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:14:14 GMT

I don't care how much oil they drill for - the G/D oil companies have said repeatedly that they charge according to market demand. If they drill for new oil, they will not be charging us 12Â¢ per gallon like Venezuela! So until they outlaw the high profits and high wages of oil companies there is NO SOLUTION. On a separate issue, look at the gas prices at the BOTTOM third of this list. How do those Countries do it? We should adopt their plan. http://money.cnn.c... [ More ]

Comment #2

pacattack05 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:08:19 GMT

If you read my blog I recently posted about peak oil myths, you'll see the real reason we don't drill here. Here's my reply to Todd's blog which basically says what Mr williams talks about in "Myth peak oil", In my blog "peak oil myth", in part 8, Lindsey Williams clearly points out the reason they can't drill for oil in Alaska. He sat on the board for 3 years as a chaplain and knows why. In the 60s Kissinger went to the Saudis and made a deal. One part of the d... [ More ]

Comment #1

Gentlespirit — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:00:17 GMT

I don't know what the best answer is to our energy problem...but, I do know that America needs to become self-sufficient and not rely on Arab countries for oil. If we don't solve our problem soon, it will become our downfall!!!

Original Blog Entry: Why More Drilling is Not the Answer

Tenaj — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:45:09 GMT

Submitted by Michael Moynihan on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 8:44am.

Of the various false solutions being proposed to the current oil shockperhaps none is more disingenous than the idea that it can be solved bydrilling in the Alaskan wilderness and along the continental shelf.This is the idea that the right wing media, recently, John McCain andnow President Bush have been pushing as a cureall for soaring oilprices. Since many Democrats oppose this drilling, the next false stepof logic is to say Democrats are to blame. This was the thrust ofPresident Bush's energy proposal yesterday, one that only highlightsthe intellectual dishonesty and partisanship of this failedAdministration.

Is more drilling the answer? No for three reasons.

First, the amount of potential oil in the Arctic National WildlifeRefuge or ANWR is simply not enough to make a dent in global worldconsumption. The entire estimated reserves of ANWR are estimated toequal current US consumption in one year. The mere increase in China'sconsumption in the next few years will exceed the entire Alaskanreserves. Since the reserves would be harvested over decades, thequantity of oil they would produce each year would amount at most to afew drops in the global oil bucket.

Second, oil exploration and drilling takes years. Even ifexploration began tomorrow, we would probably not see significantquantities of oil from Alaska or offshore for close to a decade.

Third, the oil companies already have millions of acres allocated tothem that they have not gotten around to exploring let alone drillingin. When asked the delicate question, as some have been recently, whythey have not explored these millions of acres to which the federalgovernment has granted them rights, oil companies typically respondthat the public should understand that oil exploration takes time.

There may be some opportunities for targeted, ecologicallysensistive drilling off of America's shores that would make economicsense. But more drilling will not address either the current oil shockshock or the long term situation. And of course, it will worsen, notmitigate the climate.

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