Drill Me--- No Sex Jokes Please

The new political solution for lowering gas prices is to drill off the shores of the United States.

What happened to the gas tax holiday? I was totally looking forward to that 18 cent a gallon break. That would mean $1.80 less for a tank, which would make that tripling of gas prices since I started driving completely worth it. Not to mention, how much I was hoping I could get to drive over potholes everyday because there would not be any money for road maintenance and construction.

As you probably expect or already know, the Bush Administration is pushing for offshore drilling. My first argument against this policy is not based in any fact about the pros or cons of offshore drilling. It is about credibility. The Bush Administration is the same group that told us that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that Iraq would use them on us, that Iraq was directly connected to 9/11, that Valerie Plame was not a CIA operative, that Scooter Libby should not go to jail, that the government should not pay for all of a veteran's college tuition, that social security is going bankrupt, and that China is drilling for oil off the coast of Florida.


So why should we believe their claims now?

Now, if everything the Bush Administration is saying about offshore drilling is true, let's think about what may happen if we allow this to happen.

Hurricanes: Offshore drilling proponents point to how well oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico held up during Hurricane Katrina. But, what about oil and gas prices? They spiked. Hurricane Katrina was our first taste of $3.00 per gallon of gas. So, less than three years later what are we considering? Putting more oil rigs into the ocean? If we get more of our oil from the ocean, the price will spike even more, every time there is a hurricane.

Environment: Completely ignoring the obvious environmental impact of continuing our current oil consumption, let's examine the environmental impact of just getting the oil. Destroyed reefs, depleted fish populations, and of course the oil spills are but a few reasons not to do it. Sometimes, when people criticize environmental groups, I just want to tell them to google "ecosystem."

Local Economics: Tourism is a huge industry for many of our coastal towns. As a North Carolina native, I know our fragile Outer Banks are an asset, both as a barrier and as a tourist destination. While the claim has been made that we will not be able to see the rigs from the coast, I imagine boaters and fisherman do not want to ride past oil rigs. Tourists also do not want to compete with roughnecks for hotel and restaurant space. Tourists want clean oceans. Also, tourists want to spend money in places that have few ways of getting money otherwise.

What are we getting?: The most generous projections give us about 20 billion barrels of oil. We consume over 20 million barrels a day. That means we would have enough oil to last us two and a half years. If we go through with this policy, leasing would start in 2012, production would start in 2017, and we'd actually get the oil in 2030 (And you liberals think the Bush Administration doesn't care about the future). So this means we get 2 1/2 years of oil, 22 years from now.

Alternatives: I might actually consider offshore drilling if it were easy and a quick solution. But, in twenty years, we could be completely off of our oil addiction. How? It is not simple, but it starts with pressure. Pressure on our automakers to increase the viability of hybrids, electric, and hydrogen fuel cells. Pressure on our government, particularly local governments to increase public transportation. Most of all, we need pressure on ourselves to actually accept new technology and also conserve.

Bottom Line? There should be a National Slap an Oil Executive Day.

Rabbit