Republican or Democrat, do you think we should drill in the Gulf coast?

Question

Now it is hurricane season again and oil was going down, but let the wind start blowing and hurricane Gustav on the horizon and the oil prices are raising the prices with no justification yet. Why bother drilling on the Gulf coast if this is what we can expect every time the wind blows, the corporate greed sets in. It seems they can have there cake and eat it too. They raise the price for exploration, then hit oil only to raise the price more every time the yearly hurricanes start. We can't stop the hurricanes so why not drill somewhere else. This is not a Democrat/Republican debate. Just your feeling on this subject of how we are getting jazzed again.

Answer 1

Absolutely... and ANWR... and Shale Oil... and the OCS off of the East Coast... and off of the Cal. coast... and in the lower 48... and ramp up coal to gas/oil plants... And put our claim in for the North Poll... This should hold us over until alternate energy sources can become mainstream (that is available and reasonably priced) The only thing that we have to do on Nuclear is to wait for the *STUPID* permit process to be completed.. *AND* get rid of the *STUPID* regulations that are standing in the way of recycling the nuclear waste...

Answer 2

Liberal Independent... who is fine with drilling off our coasts.

However, the kool aid drinkers who think that drilling is the answer to the U.S. dependence on foreign oil are absolutely nuts.

Our supply of the world's oil.... my understanding is that it's 3% but I don't feel like searching for a link so I'll be generous and say 5%.  

Our usage of the world's oil ... round about 20%.....

Therefore even if we suck every last drop out from under the U.S. we still can't provide our own oil supply.... only about a quarter of it given the most generous estimations.

25% = DEPENDENCE on foreign oil.

We should drill carefully, no gold rush exploitation, and we should require the drilling of land already leased before giving away the resources under any more of "we the people's" land only to have it sold back to us with an exorbitant profit attached.

And while we are doing this ..... we should be converting our country into one which depends on the fuel of the future.... clean electricity.

EDIT:  Mr. 411.... I live in Colorado... yes we have oil, however it is in the form of SHALE and because of this it is extremely expensive to extract.  Second, wherever you sit it might sound like a good idea to explore oil shale.... but for those of us who live in the mountain west, we have a scarce commodity that is needed to extract oil from the oil shale in extremely large quantities.  That resource is water.... and practically every drop of rain or snow that falls in the Colorado Rockies is already spoken for... if not by Colorado then by Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico or California.  In short .... it isn't a feasible solution unless someone invents a method of oil shale processing that does not involve millions of gallons of water.  Sorry.... but thems the facts on the ground.

Oh... and here is a link of the Alaskan Oil pipelines not leaking crude oil all over Prudhoe Bay.... there is even a picture of a guy in a haz mat suit not sucking up crude oil out of the snow.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11696601/

Some 500 spills a year occur in the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and along the 800-mile, three-decade-old pipeline system.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0809/p02s0...

Answer 3

This is America. We can drill in a way that is friendly to the environment, faster than expected, and more efficient.

If we decided to drill, prices would drop immediately because of oil speculation.

If we don't drill, gas prices will keep going up (simple supply & demand). Then the Democrats want everyone to by an electric car. News to the wealthy Democrats in Washington - after you bleed us dry with your gas taxes, we won't have money to buy new electric cars!

Answer 4

Yay for Obama!!!, No drilling. Power by wind is the answer.

Answer 5

I am a resident of the Pensacola area of Florida right on the gulf coast

I say drill now

I am a republican

Answer 6

We've been taking oil out of the Gulf for years, why stop now.

Answer 7

Sure and off the continental shelf, and ANWR and throughout the west which has shown to have oil.  Then, when the big bad winds come the price will go up from a much lower price to start with.  Remember, the very piece of equipment you are using right this minute cannot be made without petroleum.  

Oil will not go away in your lifetime so we might as well get off other countries teet and produce as much as we can ourselves.

Answer 8

The U.S. Geological Survey confirms that the Alaskan reserve may amount to no more than 5% of the world oil supply.  Now, trying to get more oil is only polishing a beat up old car instead of rebuilding the car.  We need to rebuild the energy industry.  We are hesitant to do so because of fear and the capitalistic monopoly the oil companies have on the energy industry.  

We CAN be energy efficient in less than 5 years if the government made aggressive and immediate investments by adding 100's of thousands of acres for sugar cane ethanol.  This can easily double our oil supply which will lower the price and make us not dependent on foreign oil.  

But, the oil reserves in Alaska should be drilled.  Why?  Because they can help triple the strategic oil reserve as they will not help us in our use as consumers for well over 10 years.  I say 15-20 years because of the extreme conditions in Alaska that will prevent any continuous production for 4-6 months every year.

I'm a Republican.  

Answer 9

I'm an Independent, and I say lets drill until so we can tell OPEC to kiss our RED/WHITE/BLUE asses!

Answer 10

HINT... in international waters, EVERY OTHER nation is drilling and taking oil that could be OURS.

By preventing the US from drilling, ALL WE ARE DOING is making sure we REMAIN dependent on foreign oil.

Once agian... liberal democrats have led us astray.

Answer 11

I think that completed Futures Trading for Oil need to be taken out from their concealed status

and returned to view by the regulatory agencies.

This will have as immediate a result as the prediction of hurricane has on the price at the pump.

The US Department of energy says that drilling in currently protected coastal and gulf areas will not provide a price difference in in oil or natural gas for 22 years.

I am a Democrat and will not be stampeded into gifting our Nature Reserved to the Oil industry on false pretenses.

Answer 12

The word "drill" rankes up there as a terminal cancer when it comes to attitudes like Pelosi. Your premus is all wrong. Opec controls production, the stock markets control prices. Oil company's have nothing to do with either. Ohhhhhhh they'll get their money ( profits which ever the wind blows but you can't blame the highway surface because you drive with cheap tires.  

Just the news of drilling for oil will get us out of the over $100 per barrell overnight. Why? The news alone of debating offshore drilling has caused the market speculators to move away from selling oil stocks with overinflated values. Speculators and their buyers ( around the world ) no longer think oil can make their 401K's any fatter just on the news of debatting drilling.  WTF do you think would actually happen if we actually started drilling? $40 a barrell or less because OPEC oil is no longer valueable. Forget the spin of a 10 yr wait. That's rhetoric c**p. Exon just last week said they have found oil in S. Dakota and Colorado ( both combined more supply than 60 years of OPEC. Exon CEO stated they can have drills in place in about 2 months and pumping oil with 45 days. Why not.......through liberal political eco pressure, they cannot receive permits until after about 3-5 years of EPA studies. Reminder, not one drop of crude has been lost in the Alaska pipe line. Yet that pipe line was being blamed in advance of building to would have been the extinction of all animal life within 100 miles each side the pipe. In fact, wildlife has tripled in population since the pipeline.  Rhetoric c**p then, and no difference now.

Answer 13

I think it's one of the many things we need to do to become independent.  Besides, hurricane season is just what, 2-3 months?  

Answer 14

h**l yeah!

Answer 15

Drill deep and suck the milkshake dry...the grankids can find their own oil.

Answer 16

If America has more reserves than the Middle East combined then why are we not utilizing them?  

Answer 17

Drill Now!!

Answer 18

The problem I have with it is that some people believe that this will help the price of gasoline to go down. They think it's a short term fix, but it's not. It's just greed on the part of the oil companies. Why don't they drill in the areas that they have access to now?

Answer 19

Drilling is about the oil.  Price gouging is about the law.  You can solve the problems with both issues.  Oil is still needed, so lets just work on getting at it while alternatives sources are developed, and just put gougers in jail.