Bush lifts ban on offshore drilling

2

Comments

  • dmitry
    dmitry Posts: 136
    good citizens, i'm sure you all agree government should and will choose the best energy for us. especially when the new smarter guys come to town and in good faith pick the right energy to subsidize.
  • dawng
    dawng Posts: 644
    sweet adeline wrote:
    its like trying to fix a decapitation by using a band-aid.

    agreed. We need to be looking into new energy solutions. I don't think offshore drilling, or drilling in the artic are going to do anything for gas prices either now or in the future.

    Heard a great story on NPR the other day about solar power...ah yes, here it is:
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92342742
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  • SammyK14
    SammyK14 Posts: 287
    i agree we need to be looking for alternative energy solutions, but that doesn't mean we can't continue drilling. i can hardly afford to drive to work, so anything that could positively impact gas prices is cool with me
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  • Kel Varnsen
    Kel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    _outlaw wrote:
    No one except the oil companies win in this scenario... the environment suffers tremendously, and as I said in the post you quoted:


    How does no one win but the oil companies? In Canada the high price of oil and the fact that we have tons of it to drill is a huge boost to the economy. It provides 1000's of jobs for Canadians (that are very difficult to outsource to another country), provides a ton of money in taxes to pay for things like roads and schools and provides money for anyone who is able to invest. How would it not be the same in the US?
  • Joe2TheRevenge
    Joe2TheRevenge Posts: 904
    Kel Varnsen wrote:
    How does no one win but the oil companies? In Canada the high price of oil and the fact that we have tons of it to drill is a huge boost to the economy. It provides 1000's of jobs for Canadians (that are very difficult to outsource to another country), provides a ton of money in taxes to pay for things like roads and schools and provides money for anyone who is able to invest. How would it not be the same in the US?

    For the same reason that you have universal healthcare and our country does not.

    Corporations own America's government, especially big oil

    The only people gaining anything are the oil companies, who will continue to base their prices on speculation.

    Remember how we went into Iraq and secured their oil? We secured foreign oil, and prices went up. Now we're going to secure domestic oil...and you know what?.....PRICES WILL GO UP.

    Another win for Bush's oil buddies. Anyone else shocked? Anyone else think he presidency has been about anything BUT oil?
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  • my2hands
    my2hands Posts: 17,117
    polaris wrote:
    there are plenty of alternative energy sources out there ... they just don't happen to control congress ...

    so your blaming american politicians for alternative energies not coming to the global forefront? american politicians are to be blamed for the worlds failure to properly design and harness viable alternative energy that could easily fuel the planet of 6 billion?

    the 1 problem with the last 8 years is people blaming politicians and governments for every shortcoming and problem in the world... the internet fueled "everything is a government/corporate conspiracy" phenomenon is getting a bit ridiculous and harmful to genuine real world progress as well...

    but whatever

    it's bush's fault the big 3 have not developed a solar flying magic carpet SUV yet :rolleyes:
  • Kel Varnsen
    Kel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    Joe2TheRevenge wrote:
    For the same reason that you have universal healthcare and our country does not.

    Corporations own America's government, especially big oil

    The only people gaining anything are the oil companies, who will continue to base their prices on speculation.
    ?

    But oil companies still have to hire people to do the exploration and work on off shore oil platforms (including a lot of good jobs for skilled people). They still have to pay those people's salaries. They still have to buy equipment from other companies. The more oil they pump and sell the more taxes they pay. The more profit they make the more dividends they pay out. How exactly are the oil companies the only ones benefitting here? It is not like Exxon is a one man operation run by Joe Exxon and he finds, pumps, refines and sells the oil himself (and then gets to keep all the money for himself).
  • Kann
    Kann Posts: 1,146
    Drop The Leash 10 wrote:
    good. gas prices SHOULD drop.
    Well considering how long it would take to start producing oil from there (a few years) and the quick rise in demand everywhere in the world (it's not just Europe and USA anymore), I don't think you'll see anything drop. I think it's a bad idea, the money used to put all this production in place could surely be used elsewhere.
  • mca47
    mca47 Posts: 13,352
    Dumb.


    -The US is not going to see ANY benefit from it for at least 5 years.
    -A certain percentage will be shipped overseas to Asia (not helping Americans, but giving larger profits to the industry)
    -What they can pull from there is sooooo insignificant.


    Dumb.
  • Urban Hiker
    Urban Hiker Posts: 1,312
    mca47 wrote:
    Dumb.


    -The US is not going to see ANY benefit from it for at least 5 years.
    -A certain percentage will be shipped overseas to Asia (not helping Americans, but giving larger profits to the industry)
    -What they can pull from there is sooooo insignificant.


    Dumb.

    The only significance will be the impact on wildlife.

    Time to write congress, again.
    Walking can be a real trip
    ***********************
    "We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
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    Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
  • down_ski
    down_ski Posts: 328
    polaris wrote:
    there are plenty of alternative energy sources out there ... they just don't happen to control congress ...


    Like????? Nuclear? Seriously, that's everybody's answer to everything. Its also a horrible argument considering it wouldnt actually affect us "Not rich Prius driving" folk.

    I honestly dont have a problem with the gas prices, just because I can start up a savings account and by the time Pearl Jam decides to come anywhere near i can bust it open and drive myself!

    And we need Nuclear Plants! Thats how France gets like 90% of their energy.

    (I dont need to hear this Chernobyl, 3-mile island crap either)
  • mca47
    mca47 Posts: 13,352
    Urban Hiker wrote:
    The only significance will be the impact on wildlife.

    Time to write congress, again.


    Yeah, they better put a halt to this nonsense. Then again, I have such little faith in them anymore...
    :(
  • fuck
    fuck Posts: 4,069
    down_ski wrote:
    I honestly dont have a problem with the gas prices
    lol
  • FiveB247x
    FiveB247x Posts: 2,330
    Seriously, what's the big difference at this point? We're cutting carbon emissions by 2050? Perhaps, if we hurry up and use up all the oil supplies sooner than later, we'll move onto the next type of fuel.....










    or all be dead. Probably on the way to extinction, and by the looks of humanity on the Earth, I can't say I'll be sad.
    CONservative governMENt

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  • stupidcorporatewhore
    stupidcorporatewhore Posts: 761
    Drop The Leash 10 wrote:
    good. gas prices SHOULD drop.

    been living in this country long?
  • Eliot Rosewater
    Eliot Rosewater Posts: 2,659
    mammasan wrote:
    Well hopefully Congress will not be as short sighted. Bush lifting the ban is useless, without Congressional approval they can't start drilling.
    the u.s. congress is as weak as it's ever been and probably already been paid off 10 times already for shit like this. there's so little integrity and backbone these days...it's so sad and pathetic.
  • searchlightsoul
    searchlightsoul Posts: 583
    Urban Hiker wrote:
    The only significance will be the impact on wildlife.

    Time to write congress, again.

    Environmental impacts of oil drilling are generally localised to the drilling site itself - and these effects will be even less significant for deep offshore wells in >100 m of water whoese only contact with the seabed will be via the well head itself and stabilising anchors. This means that < 10 square m of seabed is directly impacted.

    Typically the consequences of oil spills only become environmentally significant when they reach near shore coastal waters. This is why when oil spills occur the first step is too disperse them out to sea AWAY from the areas of highest biodiversity.

    There are many examples of petroleum exploration having no detrimental impact on wildlife. For example Barrow Island in Western Australia.

    How exactly do you think oil drilling offshore will have such a devastating impact on wildlife? Isn't the Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling?
  • Urban Hiker
    Urban Hiker Posts: 1,312
    searchlightsoul wrote:
    Environmental impacts of oil drilling are generally localised to the drilling site itself - and these effects will be even less significant for deep offshore wells in >100 m of water whoese only contact with the seabed will be via the well head itself and stabilising anchors. This means that < 10 square m of seabed is directly impacted.

    Typically the consequences of oil spills only become environmentally significant when they reach near shore coastal waters. This is why when oil spills occur the first step is too disperse them out to sea AWAY from the areas of highest biodiversity.

    There are many examples of petroleum exploration having no detrimental impact on wildlife. For example Barrow Island in Western Australia.

    How exactly do you think oil drilling offshore will have such a devastating impact on wildlife? Isn't the Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling?

    Stirring up the seabed = problem

    http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/coasts/factsheets/120507-gasleases.pdf
    Walking can be a real trip
    ***********************
    "We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
    ***********************
    Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
  • polaris
    polaris Posts: 3,527
    my2hands wrote:
    so your blaming american politicians for alternative energies not coming to the global forefront? american politicians are to be blamed for the worlds failure to properly design and harness viable alternative energy that could easily fuel the planet of 6 billion?

    the 1 problem with the last 8 years is people blaming politicians and governments for every shortcoming and problem in the world... the internet fueled "everything is a government/corporate conspiracy" phenomenon is getting a bit ridiculous and harmful to genuine real world progress as well...

    but whatever

    it's bush's fault the big 3 have not developed a solar flying magic carpet SUV yet :rolleyes:

    you have shifted right haven't you? ... interesting.

    in any case - your fossil-burning sources of energy are heavily subsidized - even at $4 a gallon that's like comparable to a bottle of coke ... anyone who thinks it costs the same to produce a litre of gas for your car as it does coke needs to think about it a bit more ...

    if renewables were given the same market advantages as oil or coal - you would see huge progress in that sector - but again, they do not control congress nor the office of the president ... they aren't the ones who can convince politicians to wage a war in the middle east ...

    america is still one of the cheapest places in the world to buy gas - people all over the world have been paying your prices for years ... but it's not as big a factor because they understand it's properties as a unrenewable resource ...
  • polaris
    polaris Posts: 3,527
    Kel Varnsen wrote:
    How does no one win but the oil companies? In Canada the high price of oil and the fact that we have tons of it to drill is a huge boost to the economy. It provides 1000's of jobs for Canadians (that are very difficult to outsource to another country), provides a ton of money in taxes to pay for things like roads and schools and provides money for anyone who is able to invest. How would it not be the same in the US?

    it's a localized benefit and it's a bit misleading ... sure you can get paid $20/hr to work at timmy's in alberta but everything else costs more too ... and because of the price of oil - manufacturing jobs across the country are disappearing ... sure, any province with oil in Canada can generate tax revenue but what about the others? ... and how is this sustainable?

    the single biggest factor affecting canada's ability to combat climate change is the oil sands ...

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