What is your stance on drilling for oil in US/Clean energy?

I'm studying biology in college, and I've been nervous with all the talk today about drilling for oil here in the US. I don't understand it, people think it is the ultimate solution, and it's not. For one thing, it would be YEARS before the drilling can be commenced and pumping out oil. It would be YEARS before the price of that oil/gasoline is able to go down enough to be better than today' standards. It forces us to





Why not switch to clean energy and it can only benefit us. No more relying on foreign oil, more jobs created building and maintaining clean energy sources, no more pollution, it never runs out and is renewable.





Why drill for more oil, it only prolongs out dependence on it?What is your stance on drilling for oil in US/Clean energy?
Great question! I WAS a Chemical Engineer, and worked for 6 years prior to waking up! Yes I was suppose to be working for the oil companies and hence an advocate, and I will be the first to tell you that drilling for oil, here or elsewhere doesn't make sense. Environmentally, economically, politically, it doesn't make sense.





As for the ';solar cars';...I like the emotion but pure solar cars are a bit off the charts as daily use comes into play. Now implementing electric vehicles, which are already out there look up eBox for starters, there are lots of others too. I will have 2 electric vehicles within the year, and yes they will be powered 100% by solar panels generating electricity that will charge my cars, and power 100% of my home which will still have everything your house has including AC for a family of 4! And yes the cars look just like those gas burners.





There are other tremendous, and usually less expensive ways to reduce oil and energy cost, and that is reducing the amount that you use. This is where you stop wasting the electricity and gas that you use already. YOU can do that today





I will be the one to piss you off, but other than individuals deciding that they too will be energy independent ASAP, the only way that energy independence is to be achieved (this is the USA and we ARE independent are we not?) is for the price of gas to go straight up, to the range of $10.00, $15.00, $20.00 per gallon of gas, and home electricity to follow the trend. Then enough people will get so tired of paying $200 for a tank of gas that they burn in a week, in their high efficiency vehicle, or a day in their larger vehicle, that the population will force the government (Washington) to do what they should have done 30 years ago and convert our daily energy use over to renewable (FREE) sources of energy. Yes it costs money to implement, but if you didn't notice there are certain countries and families that don't like the freedom that we in the USA have, but they love our addiction to oil and we are making them as rich as rich can be, and they do EVERYTHING that they can to keep their profits as high as possible, and still keep us addicted to using their oil.





So yes, in short if you want to drill and get a return on that when you are retired go for it...I personally am doing something about it TODAY! People do what you do, they don't do what you say...just ask anyone with a teenager! TODAY is your day to do something, get off the fence and stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution...What is your stance on drilling for oil in US/Clean energy?
I'm with you! I already don't need to fill my cars with gasoline - they run only on natural gas (methane), which the US has in abundance. It's 87 cents a gallon to fill up here in Utah, and it's cleaner for the environment, too. We just need more pumps throughout the US and then everybody could enjoy driving around using no gasoline at all. It's a great feeling. So, lean on your local officials to get natural gas pumps put in so we can get off the foreign oil habit. My sources will tell you if you already have a pump near you. I hope so!
THANKS FOR CALLING MY ATTENTION TO YOUR QUESTION,BUT THE GOVERMENT DID THIS ON PURPOSE,ONE TO MAKE THIS ONE WORLD ORDER,BUBBA IS BEHIND THIS TO THE HILT,WE GAVE AWAY ALL OUR TECHNOLOGY-CAR-=AND EVERYTHING ELSE,THEY ALSO WANT THIS TO BE A LAND OF COLOR BY 2012,THAT'S DONE ON PURPOSE, I DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MINUTE ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL OF THESE COMPANIES ARE GOING OUT OF BUISNESS,SOMETHING IS IN THE WORKS! THIS IS NOT GOOD !
My opinion is that increasing offshore drilling is like giving an alocholic one more beer. It's just not going to do any good.





First off, the oil companies have tens of billions of barrels of oil available in offshore areas they haven't yet tapped. Adding a little more won't have any impact.


http://climateprogress.org/2008/07/10/th鈥?/a>





Secondly, as you note, it will be years before any such oil will be drilled, and even longer before it has any minimal impact on gas prices. Even Bush's Energy Information Administration has said as much.





';Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.';


http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otherana鈥?/a>





And then of course there are the environmental and political impacts of continuing our reliance on fossil fuels.





What we need to do is stop focusing on this outdated energy source and develop alternative fuel technologies. We have the technology for plug-in hybrids and electric cars, and renewable energy like wind and solar thermal can provide 100% clean power cheaper than even nuclear.


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;鈥?/a>





What really bugs me is the misinformation about oil. Just a few months ago McCain himself opposed increased offshore drilling because he knew it wouldn't have any impact on gas prices. But he switched his position because he knew it would get votes. People don't know any better. Hell, delegates were chanting 'drill baby, drill' at the Republican convention. Our politicians know this isn't a real solution, but they string people along anyway just to get votes. It's disgusting. It's like getting a drug addict's vote by promising him more crack.


http://climateprogress.org/2008/09/05/dr鈥?/a>
clearly oil is not the ';ultimate solution';. BUT,


-- how expensive do you want gasoline to be?


-- how many people do you want to lose their jobs?


-- how many people do you want to die from over heating?


-- or freezing?





coal and oil supply something like 90% of our energy today.


and we produce 3% of the world supply.





you can't run a VW on a solar panel, never mind an SUV.





note, i didn't say drill.


oil will be $1,000 a barrel, maybe even in my lifetime.


clearly in yours.


we're in this pickle partly because we drilled and sold our oil around the world at $1 a barrel.


chevron, texaco, etc were quite profitable doing that.


the US got $100 for the oil lease.


and you got nothing.





what's to be done?


1. increase cafe (mpg) standards, and implenent taxes on existing cars that don't meet them.


2. fund alternative energy.


3. build nuclear plants. (yeah, i know, but i like 'em lots better than walking 20 miles to work.)


4. export solar panels. and wind turbines.


5. make trade agreements that require trading partners to phase out coal and oil.





government regulation is necessary.


industry will not do it out of the generosity of their heart.


neither will lots of people.





welcome to the country that's the king of greed.
Well for starts the scientific community isn't entirely sure there will ever be an end to oil and natural gas. Oil is a liquid that is lighter and more absorbent than water. Water gets underground by filtering through the soil layers until it finds an area it can't pass for one reason or another. It is a process that takes just hours





Oil could do the same thing. When animal and plant material dies the flesh degrades into oil and tar like substances that nature carries away. Some it filters into the ground, making it rich for new plant growth. Perhaps some of it goes farther down and forms the various oil like substances that are present under almost all lands, and oceans. Remember the oceans are covered in plankton, which die and sink to the bottom of the ocean.








But this is all besides the point. The reason republicans like oil, is because it is a known quantity. There are few ifs, maybes, etc involved in producing it.





Whereas renewable resources are still in development and in the view of republican, not quite ready to take over the mass energy requirements of today. There is always resistance to adopting something new. And there is even more resistance to adopting something perceived to be young in development.
If the technology were availabe to abandone petroleum, I'd be the first in line to do so ... but it isn't. We have to continue drilling because our society will not function without it. Please listen to me for one moment; if our oil imports are disrupted to a serious degree, millions of Americans will die. Or, we will attack some country and take their oil as a matter of survival - note, we have not done that to date. To end the use of oil without a replacement will be the end of life as you know it. I am all for every type of energy but it isn't a simple as just walking away from oil. One example: if 'solar cars' became available tomorrow for, say $35,000 each, (1) how many people could afford them, (2) how long would it take to build and set up dealers for them, and (3) how long would it take to retool our entire country for solar? You can see if you are reasonable that we have to have a reliable and available source of energy and petroleum is all we have for now.
I think people are scared it will make them change their lives. I don't think there are many people alive who haven't relied on oil their entire life. I also think there is some denial, people don't want think of the earths resources as finite, the thought of running out of something we rely on so heavily is scary.





I have no doubt we will need to drill eventually, but I don't think the time is now. I think there are many fuels to replace oil for many uses. I don't think we are anywhere near being able to completely eliminate oil.





Don't forget the oil companies are spending millions if not billions on ads and scientist to convince people this is the thing to do.