Regarding the oil catastrophe in the Gulf...

[Phempa]

Let me start by saying I, unlike most other liberal-minded people, was at one point actually considering supporting further offshore drilling for oil.

We are too dependent on other countries for our oil which, let's be honest, we NEED in order to continue being a successful nation (at least for now). I had appreciated the notion that gathering the crude from our own territories could at least put a damper on the "control" these foreign countries think they have on us.

I guess it takes a disaster to knock the sense back in to a person.

After this horrible oil spill/leak/whateveryouwannacallit, I'm very against any further drilling for oil, especially on the ocean floor.


So, my main question is, are the "Drill Baby Drill"-ers still gung-ho on off-shore drilling? Or does hard, devastating evidence actually work to control their views?

[F20A CB7]

Hi,

To me i think they will keep drilling, yes this is a shame, but people need to make their money.

[Ralphie]

I think he tried to get permission to drill off the west coast of Fla and they denied him and now he is trying to get permission along the east coast and i think Va is all for it.

I hope it doesn't go through because disasters like that will fuck up the entire east coast and that will kill tourism for places like Fla where life is centered around the coastline.

Not to mention it is thoroughly bad for the environment.

it needs to end all together.

[ChIoVnIdCa]

I'm all for drilling .. I wouldn't care if we have to drill right through a dolphin or right through a polar bear to do it.. If we aren't the ones doing it other countries will and with way less environmental restrictions and profit off of us and use there profit against us.

[Phempa]

The notion that it's bad for the (above-ground) environment hasn't been so evident until this recent problem.

Now it is all-too-obvious.

Plus, there are theorie (and possibly even some evidence) that tapping oil from below the surface actually affects things above the surface like earthquakes and volcanoes and such.

We just gotta kick the stuff completely.

It's turning out that nothing good is coming from using and abusing oil.

It's like a bad drug. Fun while it lasts, but once ya hit rock bottom, it's either clean up and kick it, or suffer the ultimate consequence.

[Phempa]

I'm all for drilling .. I wouldn't care if we have to drill right through a dolphin or right through a polar bear to do it.. If we aren't the ones doing it other countries will and with way less environmental restrictions and profit off of us and use there profit against us.

So you still think drilling is a good idea, regardless of the horrible effects it's having on our environment?

Not trying to knock your opinion, just trying to get the other side of the story.

I used to think along those line as well, but this disaster has made me think a lot more about it.

Have you been paying attention to the news reports on this particular incident?

[fatboy1185]

If we aren't the ones doing it other countries will and with way less environmental restrictions

That is a good point. Although American companies haven't really been known for "clean" drilling.

[F20A CB7]

I'm all for drilling .. I wouldn't care if we have to drill right through a dolphin or right through a polar bear to do it.. If we aren't the ones doing it other countries will and with way less environmental restrictions and profit off of us and use there profit against us.

yoooo you made my day bro. what you said will b my new sig.


thanks.

[Shag Wagon]

Mistakes happen. Whether somebody likes it or not, somebody is going to drill for some oil in order to keep our gas prices down or up.

[deevergote]

I'd rather see drilling continue... but AFTER all flaws in the equipment have been corrected.

We depend on oil. Our economy hinges on it. We're already at a weak point economically, and other countries (such as China) are growing considerably.

[owequitit]

That is a good point. Although American companies haven't really been known for "clean" drilling.

Compared to American habits, you should check out some other's.

We actually are exceptionally clean at drilling. We have more environmental regulation than just about the rest of the face of the earth, and we have among the most advanced tools for the job. Of course, that applies to most western countries. People who say we are "dirty" aren't aware of how the rest of the world operates. Russia was big on building uncontained nuclear reactors to save a buck (Chernobyl anyone), so what kind of investment do you suppose they put into oil drilling? Now, most of those oil rich areas are either less regulated, are poorer, or both, so what do you suppose the prospects are that they are working hard to ensure safety and cleanliness?

How about China that doesn't really give a shit if people are killed and disasters happened? Have you done any investigating on THIER environmental footprint?

I'd rather see drilling continue... but AFTER all flaws in the equipment have been corrected.

We depend on oil. Our economy hinges on it. We're already at a weak point economically, and other countries (such as China) are growing considerably.

Shit happens. We will never correct all the flaws in the equipment, as that would produce a universal paradox.

What people NEED to do is balance the "disaster" with a little bit of perspective. Compared to the amount of producing we do, accidents are far and few between. So realistically, it isn't quite the catastrophe it is made out to be. Tons of oil seeps from the crust into the ocean naturally anyway, it just so happens that this is 1 man made, and televised event, so it gets blown way up into something.

You can see lots of this in the wake of the Exxon Valdez spill. To this day, there ARE some after effects, but not nearly on the catastrophic scale they predicted.

Even more ironically, the defenses put into place to prevent another such spill, failed not too long ago, leading to another spill. Isn't it odd how that wasn't really televised though?

Also, even drilling here is a temporary solution to the problem. It is a good short term one, but as long as the majority of our oil comes from elsewhere, it is subject to economic volatility. As such, the only way to economically insulate ourselves from it is to move to other main sources of energy.

Unfortunately, the American public has elected a person that really isn't interested in true "green" solutions, he wants "green" solutions that he can sell to the generally misinformed populace to gain favor points.

Plug in hybrids are a good example. As long as our power comes from fossil fuels, than plugging our cars into the wall does nothing but move the source of the blame.

Bush fucked a lot of shit up, but where he was correct, was in wanting to invest in a viable long term energy policy (hydrogen + nuclear), that would have solved our longer term issue. But alas, the current administration cancelled all the funding that would have given us the #1 economic base required to go foward, so that he could spend the money showing the people what a good job he was doing, and could convince us that the government was the solution to our healthcare woes (just wait until that one blows up).

[scudweiser]

it is obamas fault.

[TypeG]

i like the economic benefits, but hate the environmental effects (if something goes wrong, in this case it has). later.

[Phempa]

so many people are too caught up in the financial benefits it will reap.

what ever happened to compassion for things other than money?

I'm so sick of money, I wanna be like that guy who had a great job, multiple college degrees, and was living plenty comfortably, then just cut himself off the grid completely and lived off the land.
i would if I wasn't such a germaphobe :P

money has spoiled humans.

[wed3k]

the world revolves from money...deal with it. As long as i can eat, drink water and do my job then i could give a rat's ass about polar bears and dolphins.