How is the environment/ economy affected by drilling for oil in California?

Question

I know that the u.s is currently struggling with drilling for oil, and as a substitute i heard that they were thinking of this solution.

Answer 1

It depends on your point of view.  Do you want the U.S. to depend on foreign oil?  There is oil all around the U.S. in the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and around Alaska.  Right now drilling only happens in the Gulf off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and off Alaska.  The more places you drill, the more oil you can produce.  California and Florida are two states with not in my backyard stands but still want cheap oil, and use a lot of oil based purely on population.  If you ask me, we either drill off all coastlines of the U.S. or the states that do not allow it have to pay more for their oil.  It boils down to having more places to drill for oil, means more oil to produce, to increase the domestic supply to remove the uncertainty of relying on foreign oil that could be cut off at anytime.  The larger the supply, the lower the cost.

Answer 2

The drilling off the "northern" California coast has been in contention for quite some time.  The other people above me are speaking their mind, but I don't think they are actually answering your question.

In the 70s and 80s, there was alot of contention about drilling off the No. Ca. shores because the technology wasn't foolproof or at least very well developed and tended to leak oil all over.  Oil companies have gotten extremely smart about this, and oil has gotten so precious that these operations seldom, if ever leak into the environment.  So the drilling, itself wouldn't negatively impact the environment.  However, it has been proven in the Gulf, that the presence of oil rigs has created a prodigious ecosystem filled with a wide diversity of species, so the presence of the rigs off No. Cal coast might bring back or create mini ecosystems that will bring back the fish that have been all but fished out.

As for the economy, the north coast of Cali. could use a economic booster shot it its right arm.  Which is what the drilling would do...creating hundreds even thousands of new jobs in that region.  The city of Eureka would benefit immensely and help bolster the sagging economic tax base for the region.  Not only that, but it has been known for dozens of years that there is a huge repository of oil offshore in and north of the Santa Maria Basin.....huge!

Oops!  Did I just say that?!!  did I just let the 1970/80 cat out of the proverbial bag???  Dont let em fool ya...the US has plenty of oil that we haven't even THOUGHT of tapping yet.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I grew up in Los Angeles county in California and remember oil pumps in shopping centers, oil pumps in residential neighborhoods, and drilling rigs on Signal Hill and along the shore south of Long Beach. Now Signal hill has pumps but no more drilling and all those pumps in shopping center parking lots and neighborhoods are gone. So I say the area is pretty much out of oil.