Is drilling for oil the answer?

I personally don't think it is. Here is why. First, if we do drill for more oil or find other sources, it seems that we would just be putting a bandaid over a gaping wound. Wouldn't those resources eventually be tapped leading us to end up in the same spot as we are now? It seems to me that the only solution is a long-term one where we conserve through more mass transit, more fuel-efficient cars, and cleaner energy production such as solar and wind that requires less oil usage.Is drilling for oil the answer?
no...





the answer lies with the silicon valley geeks who just last week revealed the existence of a genetically altered single cell organism that eats crap and craps oil.





they need money...as they cant figure how to do it on a massive scale...





i wish i woulda saved the article...





now playing:42127 - nevermoreIs drilling for oil the answer?
So many of you seem more interested in politicizing the issue and attacking others than in solving the problem. Drilling and developing ALL forms of energy are pieces to the puzzle- we can get liquid fuel from coal at a decent price, nuclear can be and is safe, other alternatives need to be explored. Ethanol is crap and cannot survive without the massive subsidies.


Wind is often opposed in local communities by liberals- check it out...


Anyways we need to be willing to look at all pieces together and without letting politics and blind ideology get in the way
First let's get it straight that we are drilling for oil, the only question is whether we should also be drilling more offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).





According to the U.S. Department of Energy, link below, Drilling offshore won't produce results until 2030.





According to the U.S. Department of Energy, link below, Drilling in ANWR won't produce results for 10 years.





I think we would be better off using that time to focus on alternative energy sources -- which will be a long term solution. We can attempt to address high prices with conservation, which is the only quick fix available.
You are right, drilling is not the answer.


Oil is a limited resource.





Oil the horse and buggy of energy. We need to make energy priority and move on to newer, better thechnology. In the meantime, we need to change the way we think about using energy.





We use 25% of the world oil resources. That is just downright hoggish.
No. We are already producing a lot of oil in Alaska and off the coast of California. Refineries and importing are the problem. The problem is that there is nothing stopping Saudi Arabia from hiking prices. The answer is to eliminate our dependance on oil altogether. The problem with that is we are Saudi Arabia's ';friend';. They're not our ';friend'; though.
We must apply the band-aid while the wound is fresh-----while at the same time we must also do the things that are necessary to promote healing as well.


You have stated fine steps for both the former and the latter.


We better get drilling and to to innovating RIGHT NOW.
It could maybe help a bit - bit the benefits would not last that long.





We need to develop new technologies and energy systems that will render fossil fuels totally obsolete. Sure, this doesn't seem all that possible in the near future, but it will happen one day.
I don't understand how conservation is a solution. It is just as temporary as drilling for more oil. Conservation is not the solution--alternative energy sources is a solution.
No electric Cars are





type in 2008 Tesla Roadster ,,220 mile range(per charge,thats a day I watch my mileage its less than 300 a week) 0-60 in 3 seconds 125 Top speed





250 mpg -if compared





Oil is unsustainable ,,,why deny the inevitable
all of what you said but drill to.if you want it over you have to nail the oil speculators.make them take delivery of the oil and store it .and make them pay 50% up front instead of 10% on credit.that alone will drop oil at least a dollar overnight!
Liberals just need to keep their noses out of energy policy PERIOD. They botch everything they meddle in. Go back to Starbucks and whine about how evil America is while ordinary men and women drill for your kid's future.
It is part of the answer. It is what we need to do till we have 'Alternative'; energy available to replace fossile fuel.(Which BTW seems blocked by likes of Kennedy who does not want windmills in his back yard)
This Time article should answer your question and confirm your views:





http://www.time.com/time/business/articl鈥?/a>
No. We're better off investing our resources in alternatives to oil. With China and India growing their demand at the current pace the price will continue to rise even with addition supply.
the fact is if we started drilling today we really wouldn't reap the economic benefits for a long time.
Drilling is not the answer.
why not do both? we telling other countries to drill more while we aren't willing to drill in our country, how hypocritical is that!
1. Let assume that drilling our own oil will not make the price of oil drop.By adding our own oil to the market those dollars will not be going over seas, instead will be invested her in our county, putting our worker to work.


2. Let also concede that we do need an alternate energy source. Where is it going to come from, and when? Until that energy source is available fossil fuel is all we have.


3. . What good will the oil be after the new energy source is developed. Why save it.





Why cant we do both, use our oil until the new energy is available, and develop the new energy source.





It's comical sometime to hear what some people have for solutions. Electric cars,air powder cars, ethanol,.


Where does the power come from to generate this electricity. The electric grids are already over taxed, rolling blackout etc.. Electric cars are not available at a cost effective price with a range for most commuters.


Ethanol is a joke costing more energy that is produced, while driving up food costs.
Refuse to drill and send our president to beg Saudi Arabia to increase production, we look like a bunch of idiots.


Ask your congressman what the f### are we waiting for, gas to hit $ 5.00 a gallon?? Maybe then congress will be demanding the oil companies for oil on the parking lot of the capitol building is there was any hope of finding oil there.


No, it is not the entire answer, but it is part of the answer.


Maybe one day some one will figure how to heat our homes and drive our cars on goat urine ,. Meanwhile, what do we do while we're waiting for this to happen.????





I want affordable gas and heating oil,, and, listen to me, muthaf$%26amp;$$#r , I want it NOW!
For every 1000 Americans there are 746 vehicles. We have our transportation industry, planes, trains, trucks and ships that will use petroleum based fuels for decades to come. Not everyone will be able to afford a new car. Oil fired power plants, what are we to do, shut them down. Yes, work on alternative fuels and more efficient engines but until they are massed produced we are where we are and we need oil not just for our transportation need but the very computer you are using is made from petroleum based plastics. Congress keeps saying we need to get off our dependency of foreign oil and the only way to do that is domestic oil buy they won't allow it. It is a battle between far left enviomentalist extremist and captialism. The Government estimates of domestic oil are we would be in our own resoruces for decades to come. That would give us time to develop technology. We need oil today and the things you speak to are not here. Give me my solar or wind powered car. So yes drilling is the answer. We may not be able to drill our way out right for now but neither can we conserve our way out of this.
There where reasons everyone decided and fought against drilling in the first place. We will be doing unforeseen damage to the environment, the oil companies hired to drill are always unscrupulous, power hungry and untrustworthy(remember Exxon and Valdez and who really paid, what about the clean up and cover up processes of off shore drilling accidents that are common and scary.)





I blame the current crisis that we are having on greed and sloth of American companies, politicians, lawyers and people trying to make a buck.





I posted varies sites including examples of law firms which all you have to do is google(Off shore drilling accidents) to see their are thousands that make big business off of off shore drilling to show the big chances we will take.











http://www.offshore-environment.com/acci鈥?/a>





http://www.kerrysteigerwalt.com/public/o鈥?/a>











http://www.larrycurtis.com/aop-offshore-鈥?/a>





BTW: Has anyone not notice that the auto industry is not try hard enough to get use better made, safer vehicles. What can you expect from an industry that contends that 2 million or more defective cars can go off and be sold and them not recall them as a profitable bounce back.
Yes and no. If we began a massive effort to rid ourselves of oil, it would take at least 10 years to bring are alternative energy sources on line in such a way that we would never need an oil refinery again. That said if we were to begin drilling in the Gulf of Mexico we could see the results in around 5 years. If we drill ANWAR the fastest projection for a pipeline is around a little more than 5 years. Using these projections it makes total sense to drill. The fact is that while no one can logically argue this nation needs to turn away from fossil fuels it will take time to bring them on line. In the mean time in the quest to become energy independent we are going to need a stop gap measure, and drilling our own sources of oil makes sense. Further by drilling our own sources we can make sure the transition to alternative forms of energy is a clean and painless transition. So while drilling is not the long term answer, it does provide the perfect short term solution if we decide to get serious about alternative energy sources.
Mathematically, if everything in the USA would be opened up for oil drilling, the price of gas would go down by 1 cent, for that we would destroy 80% of our last national parks.


Just blowing up all car tires to a bit higher pressure would lower demand and gas prices by 4 cent.


But none of that is a solution to the problem oil, the only real solution is using new technologies like Europe.


A European with the same standard of living uses 25% of his US counterpart.