How about this for drilling policy?

Question

We allow limited offshore and ANWR drilling, but tax the companies just $1 (or maybe even less) for every barrel of oil that they produce, then you use the tax money to preserve the habitat of endangered species, ecosystems, and fight the erosion of the Coastline? At this point it wouldn't raise Gas prices much, so maybe it could work.

And yes, I know about the whole situation, that we wouldn't see a drop of oil for years, and it wouldn't even lower gas prices more then a few cents, but still, unless there is a huge problem that it causes (A more detrimental effect on the environment then predicted, or something like that), I don't see why not

Answer 1

That's all well and good but you don't need to spend that $1 on those items, as in the permitting process there are exurbanite environmental fees just to get the permit to drill and that is supposed to be used for such things as you talk about, and damage done is also paid by the oil company. I deal with this on a daily basis and in one case it took me 7 years before a permit was issued!

Answer 2

Well, that would still keep prices down. However, it would increase demand with the lower prices and prices would inevitably go up again.

Limited offshore drilling isn't a permanent solution. Alternate tech implementation has to be forced rapidly and the environment has to be addressed (total melting of ice caps by 2012 is an increasing possibility).

Increase taxes for now, and get this shizzle implement FAST. Furthermore, this will decrease unemployment by increasing green jobs.

Offshore drilling will reduce prices, however, not to the level that they were before. With China and India joining the demand for oil crew, prices are inevitably going up to supply the demand. Also, oil is not an unlimited resource.  McCain's policy just doesn't add up in my books. Push the change, or things will get S****y.

Answer 3

I don't know where you are at, but since President Bush rescinded the executive order that prohibited offshore drilling, gas prices where I'm at have dropped aboout fifteen cents a gallon.  The threat that there may be new reservoirs of oil tapped in the near future have caused the speculaters that have driving the price up to back off the futures market a bit.  Imagine the effect when more sources are actually producing oil if the mere removal of a single obstacle to the drilling has had that kind of effect.  If price were about supply and demand, gas would be under $2 a gallon so the actions being taken are affecting the other influences on the price.

Answer 4

That's what the left-wingers want you to believe - that it'll take 'years', but that's a load of c**p.  The sooner we start building oil refineries and start the offshore drilling, the sooner we will see the prices fall at the pump!  I live in NJ and believe me, it takes NO TIME AT ALL for these developers to rip out the woods and build housing developments, office complexes and shopping malls - they don't hesitate to get them up and built as fast as they can, so what makes this government believe that it'll take much longer to build refineries??   I don't believe it'll take any long length of time to build them nor do I believe that liberal rhetoric that it'll take ten or more years to refine oil to make a difference in the prices - I'm not buying that c**p at all.  Like I said, the sooner this government STOPS bickering and debating about whether or not to drill and starts drilling offshore, the sooner we will see prices fall at the pumps!  They need to take action NOW - NOT 10 years down the road while in the meantime, going on a wild witch hunt, looking for 'alternative energy' - 'cause they have NO idea WHAT the alternative energy will be!  All that 'environmental danger' c**p is also liberal rhetoric!   There are a number of ways to keep the environment safe while drilling for oil - that's a cop-out on their part.  They just don't look into ways to do both:  drill for oil, but safely so it won't hurt wildlife and the environment.