Why does the US have a ban on off-shore drilling and what would the consequences be of lifting this ban?

Question

How would such drilling ruin our coastlines? What other options do we have?

Answer 1

Off-shore drilling has negative Environmental impacts, and if the ban was lifted, oil companies would be allowed to damage the sea life however they want without liability.

We have the option of seeking out alternative fuel sources, and not just ethanol.

Answer 2

Dont get swept up in the media hype, lifting the ban would have some impact in the very long run, in the short term the impact would be zero. The oil companies have an average of 5 years of undeveloped offshore leases, at the current rate of exploration.

Answer 3

Excellent question. First of the evoloutinary process in fish and mud turtles could be modified causing unforeseen problems and everyone knows what a stressed out polar bear is like so to avoid such cataclimisic disasters we should not  drill and take such a chance. BE SAFE....james the hollow earth man

Answer 4

the number one thing would be an oil spill this will very likely happen and if it does all sea live will die or end up dead and there will be a massive problem in cleaning up a spill it will cause havoc for many many years and the area will be unusable for every living thing.

Answer 5

evan is right,but i would like to add the oil companies would have more oil-wells to cap in reserve.