Drilling for oil and gas

[SubGod22]

Drilling Off The Coast is being approached again by Congress but I'm sure it will continue to be blocked. One of the reasons some evironmentalist gave was that it wouldn't have any immediate impact on prices so we shouldn't do it. Now, I agree it wouldn't have an immediate impact on prices, but it sure will help in the long run as we would have to get less and less from the OPEC nations that keep driving up prices.

I'm all for alternative forms of energy/fuel. But in the mean time we should be doing everything we can to do what's best for us and that would include drilling off the coasts of the US, in the Dakotas and in ANWR. While we're doing that we can have the researchers and scientists developing new and more efficient ways to produce energy in an effective way. I don't care if it's wind, solar, hydro, nuclear or all of the above. I'm sick of some people thinking it can only be one way or the other. What's wrong with using every possible method to become as independent as we can?

[rrshock]

I agree Sub. Even if it isn't immediate, the thought of even getting the oil in the next couple of years would surely scare OPEC a little bit.

When are cars gonna run on water? That's what I'm really waiting for.

[WstateU]

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

The ball is rolling... sign this petition:

http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncenter/petitions/?Guid=54ec6e43-75a8-445b-aa7b-346a1e096659

[WuDrWu]

It doesn't get much run, but our "strategic reserves" are only a 66 day supply. We can be held hostage IMMEDIATELY by foreign countries if and when they decide to...you want high prices, just wait......


We can either address the problem or screw around for another 20 years and see what happens....I promise you it is going to get worse.

We need an AGRESSIVE across the board energy plan and we need it now and it must include new drilling and new refining as soon as possible.

[SpanglerFan316]

The effect of drilling in the US on our imports would be minimal and would have almost no effect on the price of oil or gas. As an investment, the oil and natural gas we don't drill will just keep getting more and more valuable and our ability to drill with minimal impact on the environment will increase. Oil and gas in the ground is like a savings bond (with a high rate of return); the longer we wait, the more valuable it becomes.

[RoyalShock]

While there are a lot of factors that will help bring the price down, the biggest one and the one that would have the most immediate impact is to start reducing consumption immediately. The "plans" of our current presidential candidates will only make that part of the problem worse or have little effect (subsidies for the "poor" or a moratorium on the federal gas tax - whoop de do, $0.18/gal).

Then the other factors can be addressed: more drilling, new refineries, increase interest rates to boost the dollar, alternative fuels, etc.

If all those things would be done, I think the lower fuel prices that result would help minimize the effects of a recession that might occur with a small boost of interest rates.

[Maggie]

I agree that we need to explore drilling in ANWR, off both coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico. We should also look into, gasp…..nuclear power.

Notwithstanding, I don't see any of this happening soon. Obama, given the current political climate, should win this election. And he is fond of proposing a tax on the "windfall profits" of oil producers. History has shown that whatever you tax you will get less of (hence the theory behind taxes on tobacco). Interestingly, around 1980 Congress passed such a tax on oil companies – the consequence – domestic production dropped while imports rose. So much for decreasing our dependency on foreign oil.

[SubGod22]

I agree that we need to explore drilling in ANWR, off both coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico. We should also look into, gasp…..nuclear power.

Notwithstanding, I don't see any of this happening soon. Obama, given the current political climate, should win this election. And he is fond of proposing a tax on the "windfall profits" of oil producers. History has shown that whatever you tax you will get less of (hence the theory behind taxes on tobacco). Interestingly, around 1980 Congress passed such a tax on oil companies – the consequence – domestic production dropped while imports rose. So much for decreasing our dependency on foreign oil.

Exactly. But the Dems in Congress that are behind the "windfall profits" are trying to sell it as something different than what it was in the 80's. For now, that's been blocked in Congress, but after this next election things could get interesting. And I mean that in a bad way.

I also don't understand why we don't have more nuclear energy. I think I read once a couple years ago that France has so much of it that they sell export it to help run many portions of thier neighboring countries. All forms of energy should be pursued.

[SpanglerFan316]

It doesn't get much run, but our "strategic reserves" are only a 66 day supply. We can be held hostage IMMEDIATELY by foreign countries if and when they decide to...you want high prices, just wait......


We can either address the problem or screw around for another 20 years and see what happens....I promise you it is going to get worse.

Yeah, let's use up our oil now so it isn't available to us in case of national emergency.

We need an AGRESSIVE across the board energy plan and we need it now

I agree with this part. We need
(i) more fuel efficient cars,
(ii) electricity from nuclear, wind, geothermal, solar, etc. sources,
(iii) more efficient transmission of electric power
(iv) better and more mass transit, bike lanes in cities, etc.
(v) more research money which is not tied to a particular source (e.g. ethanol, oil, etc.).

[WuDrWu]

Of all the ideas bantered about, the one that will get passed FIRST, and the one that will have absolutely ZERO effect on the problem is the windfall tax.

It sickens me to hear this day, after day, after day...........


You want to tax oil companies, fine. Look at the history, make a stupid decision, but it does not address or fix the problem.

Stop talking about the two issue in the same breath.

[Maggie]

SubGod:

You are correct about France. It is my understanding that its energy needs are almost exclusively met by nuclear power – and they do export to other nations.

Why don't we have more nuclear power? I think you know the answer to that question. It is the same reason we didn't start drilling in ANWR over 10 or 20 years ago.

WuDrWu:

A "windfall" tax will have an affect on the problem – it will make it worse.

Spangler:

Leaving our oil/gas in the ground like some kind of savings bond is not the answer. If there is an emergency we actually have to access to the oil. That takes time. We should have been drilling years ago.

[SubGod22]

And Doc brought up a good point about the reserves. We don't produce enough ourselves and that leaves us in a very vulnerable position. As he pointed out if the OPEC nations wanted to hold us hostage they could and we'd be hurting quickly. We need some kind of safety net and at this point we don't.

And your right Maggie, I do know the answer but it still doesn't make sense to me.

[WuShockFan]

Anyone that is interested can read Barack Obama's energy plan right here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/.

The phrase "windfall profits tax" doesn't appear on the site anywhere. No where does it talk about taking away tax breaks or taxing companies more. However, the plan does include the generous use of tax credits and tax incentives for companies that invest in renewables and energy efficiency.

And Obama does want America to be free from foreign oil. He has a plan to make America independent of foreign oil. Its just that his plan involves creating more efficiency and use of renewables as opposed to just drilling for more oil.

[WuDrWu]

Yeah, let's use up our oil now so it isn't available to us in case of national emergency.

Please elaborate.....I am certain I do not understand your meaning here.

Thanks!

[WuDrWu]

Anyone that is interested can read Barack Obama's energy plan right here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/.

The phrase "windfall profits tax" doesn't appear on the site anywhere. No where does it talk about taking away tax breaks or taxing companies more. However, the plan does include the generous use of tax credits and tax incentives for companies that invest in renewables and energy efficiency.

And Obama does want America to be free from foreign oil. He has a plan to make America independent of foreign oil. Its just that his plan involves creating more efficiency and use of renewables as opposed to just drilling for more oil.

It may not appear on his website, but it's the first thing out of his mouth and the first and usually only thing in the media.


All the other things are nice, but how do you go about doing that? I can say a lot of things......doesn't mean they are going to get done.

Drilling into the places that we know have oil, then having the ability to refine said oil, have to be priorities today.

I don't want to hear a word about damaging the environment. We are so good at drilling for oil these days it's not funny.

Yes we need more nuclear power. Yes we need more of the other renewable energies.....but they have some problems too.....talk isn't going to get it done. We need action.....we needed action 30 years ago.

To address the problem, TODAY, we need to lessen our dependancy on foreign oil by drilling for oil at home where ever it is and then be able to refine it, increase our reserves immediately, and provide an environment for alternate energy sources that we can develop, impliment and use in the next 6-10 years.