Posted on 06/28/2006 3:20:03 AM PDT by aculeus
FOR THE PAST quarter of a century, the federal government has banned oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters. Efforts to relax the ban have been repelled on environmental grounds, but it is time to revisit this policy. Canada and Norway, two countries that care about the environment, have allowed offshore drilling for years and do not regret it. Offshore oil rigs in the western Gulf of Mexico, one of the exceptions to the ban imposed by Congress, endured Hurricane Katrina without spills. The industry's safety record is impressive, and it's even possible that the drilling ban increases the danger of oil spills in coastal waters: Less local drilling means more incoming traffic from oil tankers, which by some reckonings are riskier. Although balancing energy needs with the environment is always hard, the prohibition on offshore extraction cannot be justified.
The House of Representatives is about to vote on this question, probably tomorrow. A bipartisan bill would maintain a ban on drilling within 50 miles of the shoreline and allow states to extend that to 100 miles. But it would lift the congressional restriction on drilling beyond that perimeter. This compromise would give states that are unwilling to countenance the perceived environmental risks a reasonable measure of control over their coasts. But it would also open the way to more drilling.
The economic benefit of that drilling would be especially pronounced if it were aimed at natural gas extraction. Despite all the rhetoric about energy independence, it doesn't make much difference whether the United States gets its oil from its own coastal waters or whether it buys it on world markets. There is one global price for oil; producing more from U.S. waters will bring down that global price, benefiting all consuming countries rather than just U.S. consumers.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
L
Is this article from scrappleface?
The editorial board of the post must have all got Hummers as a stock option. They only opt for things like this when they personally have to start writing the checks.
I was just talking about this type of stuff last night with my brother in law who is visiting us from Norway ,he works on the oil rigs there .He told me business is booming ,they are building rigs as fast as they can .I told him this country has been hamstrung by the enviornmentalists for years .I asked how a country with people who love the outdoors and have scenery unmatched in the world have delt with this and he said the major concern was co2 from the wells and they have technology that channels the co2 right back into the well .
As far as they are concerned they dont care if we ever expoit our own resources .
Just another reason thAT PROVES WHAT A BUNCH OF MORONS LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY
Have these ignoramouses ever stopped to think about what is going to happen to their precious tourism industries if and when gas hits $10 per gallon? My guess is that no one will be able to afford the typical long-distance trips to Florida and California and will just stay home or travel to much closer vacation spots to save $$$$$$. So, in the long run, I'd say that they are not helping themselves any by continuing to fight offshore drilling just because they don't like looking at oil rigs on the horizon.
or hummers in the back room by oil execuetts.
Freepers,
Please post all sightings of flying pigs on this thread.
Poor Algore. Just at the time he's trying to scare people about Global Warming with his stupid movie hell freezes over.
Algore is going to get the vapors.
Knock me over with a feather! (((rubbing my eyes)))
Now I do believe it would be possible for H-E-double-toothpicks to freeze over.
It begins to dawn on liberal newspaper editors that expensive gasoline is harmful to their papers. I could never understand how these people could support high energy prices for any reason. But they did, and now, they don't. Profit is beginning to trump ideology. DRILL DRILL DRILL!! Bring those gas prices DOWN! It's called job security boys.
LOL!!!
These guys are leaving their stables right now...
my eyes must be failing me? LOL
the Wash Compost?
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