This Washington post article takes on three myths of offshore drilling:
1. Drilling is pointless because the United States has only 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves.
2. The oil companies aren’t using the leases they already have.
3. Drilling is environmentally dangerous.
I also agree with their “strongest argument against drilling”
The strongest argument against drilling is that it could distract the country from a pursuit of alternative sources of energy. There’s no question that the administration has been lax on that front. True leadership would emphasize both alternative sources and rational approaches to developing oil and natural gas. No, the United States cannot drill its way to energy independence. But with the roaring economies of China and India gobbling up oil in the two countries’ latter-day industrial revolutions, the United States can no longer afford to turn its back on finding all the sources of fuel necessary to maintain its economy and its standard of living. What’s required is a long-term, comprehensive plan that includes wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels and nuclear — and that acknowledges that oil and gas will be instrumental to the U.S. economy for many years to come.
No doubt we need to both increase oil exploration and develop alternative energy. Unfortunately, especially in Boulder, we have way too many people that have embibed too much of the Algore kool-aid and believe in energy independence in 10 years purely from alternative sources.
There are no technical or material impediments to achieving the goal of 100 percent clean electricity within 10 years. The only thing missing is political will. When will our politicians address the energy crisis with solutions that can revitalize our economy and solve the climate crisis?
Check the link, I’m not making this stuff up. There are a lot more like her and some of them work at the Daily Camera, I feel sure.
