Exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas

[Muncle]

This is a question that really crosses party boundaries, though it has become very partisan in Congress. Many Floridians and Californians have expressed a NIMBY attitude, regardless of political leanings. Floridian especially express fear of hurting the valuable tourist industry. However, China and India will soon be drilling off the Florida coast in Cuban controlled areas.

Even the most adamant pro-drilling people concede that this would not be a complete cure for the US energy situation, but claim that it is a vital prong in any tactic. Others refuse to consider such drilling and will only consider alternative sources of energy (wind, solar, bio, nuclear, etc.) What's your view?

[Taltarzac]

ANWR is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_National_Wildlife_Refuge

[inholmdel]

It,s time to write to our worthless senators and congresspersons to stop their political masturbation and to start thinking about the country and the people they represent instead of spending all their time trying to get reelected. The USA should have had an energy policy years ago. We should have been drilling for oil after the last oil crisis. We should have been building oil refineries years ago. We have not built a new refinery in the USA for 35 years We should have been building nuclear power plants like Belgium and France, years ago.
We would not have our current problems with gasoline if they all did their job years ago.
Congress is a disaster.

[handieman]

It,s time to write to our worthless senators and congresspersons to stop their political masturbation and to start thinking about the country and the people they represent instead of spending all their time trying to get reelected. The USA should have had an energy policy years ago. We should have been drilling for oil after the last oil crisis. We should have been building oil refineries years ago. We have not built a new refinery in the USA for 35 years We should have been building nuclear power plants like Belgium and France, years ago.
We would not have our current problems with gasoline if they all did their job years ago.
Congress is a disaster.

Because the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" meaning the liberal do-gooders, tree huggers, spotted owl savers, get their way and the rest of us suffer. Wake up America Shout to your representatives about doing something for a change.
Handie :joke:

[Muncle]

Because the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" meaning the liberal do-gooders, tree huggers, spotted owl savers, get their way and the rest of us suffer. Wake up America Shout to your representatives about doing something for a change.
Handie :joke:

To contact Ginny Brown-Waite, go to
http://www.house.gov/formbrown-waite/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm

I don't have a page for Cliff Stearns, but someone should have it. Please post.

[Sidney Lanier]

I copied the following from my post on another thread. I do agree with Muncle that all the drilling in the world will not solve the problem; and with gallinaro regarding our government's lack of an energy policy (see what I wrote below), with government support and encouragement in the direction of alternative energy sources (most especially renewable ones) ended around 1986, thus forcing us to continue dependence on oil....

---------------------------------------

What saddens me is how little Joe American says about alternative energy, which he mentions twice only in passing. At this moment we are sitting in our Courtyard Hotel room in Page, AZ looking out at Lake Powell and, just beyond it, the Navajo Power Plant (huge!). Its fuel? Coal. Good old American coal, and with today's technology, not releasing pollutants into the air, and a fuel for which the reserves are almost immeasurable.

In April we were on a river cruise in France, where every x number of miles we passed a nuclear power plant. These were not built Chernobyl style but, again with today's technology, with safety features that would prevent a nuclear disaster. Much of Europe derives its electricity from alternative energy sources--wind, solar, and so forth. Not here in the U.S. Why?

Twenty-two years ago we ourselves installed a solar water heating system in our home in the Mid-Hudson Valley of NY (which has paid for itself over and over). To this day this setup supplies 100% of our domestic hot water during the summer and serves as a pre-heater during the winter, so our well water, which comes out of the ground at about 42 degrees, is warmed to whatever extent before it hits the boiler. But at that time (1986), all research, grants, considerations for alternative energy were effectively killed, most likely in an attempt to keep the focus on oil, IMHO.

Today we are paying the price for this in our dependence on oil, whether domestic or OPEC or other sources, and we know who's reaping such huge profits from it. Some of what Joe American is suggesting may be viable in the long term, but it sure isn't going to help truckers who have to pass on the cost of fuel to consumers; it won't help the low- and even middle-income wage earners who have to buy gas to get to work; and it certainly won't help those in the northern part of our country who will have astronomical heating bills this coming winter, many of whom don't even realize what's coming in just a matter of months.

Several years ago I organized a 'mini-oil cartel' to buy heating oil in bulk from our largest local supplier who gave us a break because of the number of gallons we bought and paid for up front and my doing all the organizing and work for them. It started with two of our sons (one a large commercial account) and us; last year two other households--friends--joined us; and this year three more are joining in. However, last year's base price was $2.799/gallon, reduced to $2.499 plus a discounted service plan. This year the base price is starting at $4.649 and I don't know yet what the final price will be; they are still negotiating. Nearly double!!!

In other words, on an immediate basis, the fecal matter is about to hit the fan--and we are in deep excrement, IMHO--and if we don't know it, we're going to find out very, very shortly....

[Taltarzac]

To contact Ginny Brown-Waite, go to
http://www.house.gov/formbrown-waite/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm

I don't have a page for Cliff Stearns, but someone should have it. Please post.




http://www3.capwiz.com/mygov/bio/?id=167&submit.x=10&submit.y=10

[bobfl]

Most folks don't consider that wind and solar are really only supplementary energy sources. As a person that spent about 35 years messing about with sail boats I saw first hand how limited wind energy can be. Many sailing days ended up powering due to lack of wind. Solar has another problem, sun doesn't shine at night and on rainy overcast days. The question is what energy source will they supplement? There must be a steady energy source that runs 24/7. At this point in time Nuclear energy appears to be in the lead for this although interesting work is being done on others. How do we get through the period until alternate energy sources are ready to pick up the load? I agree that we can't drill our way completely out of this mess but I think we need to drill as much as possible to get us through the 10 to 20 year period needed to build the needed alternate energy infrastructure. We are on a knife edge between supply and demand, and any blow up in the middle east could spell disaster for our economy and our country.

[The Great Fumar]

Handi
Don't forget SNAIL DARTERS.....

fume

[gfmucci]

Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, I recall many times at the beaches there getting my feet black from the tar created by the freighters off-shore pumping their bilge water before they entered Port Everglades.* That ongoing activity and its consequences has certainly not hurt Fort Lauderdale's tourist economy.* And I understand that oil drilling 10 to 100 miles offshore in the Gulf will have much less impact on beach quality than the freighters lining up to enter Port Everglades.

The tourism nimby's won't have any tourists if they don't join civilization and support whatever needs to be done to reduce energy costs. And the enviro-nimby's will have to eat the critters they're trying to preserve if fuel and food prices keep rising.

[billethkid]

Not enough of the current population remember the gas lines of the 70's. That was over 35 years ago. Just imagine if we just did a little something back then.
Instead we are partisan paralyzed complimented by an apathetic constituency that tolerates it.

Drilling will send a message to the OPEC we are serious about cutting them off some day.
They like the Washington DC crowd know the average American will bitch but DO NOTHING!!!!
They must be amused at how easy it is to take the strongest nation on earth to it's knees.
The MidEast is over whelming the USA without the need to fire a shot!!!

And yes, all the other alternatives should be pursued with vigor instead of lip service.

We need to re-awaken the spirit that took this country from what it was in the early 1900's to the year 2001.
We need to be one America....I for one am sick and tired of the childish, unproductive partisan polarity that is holding us back.

Any way I hope you all write your representatives.Jimmy Duncan, Jr. the 2nd District Congressional Congressman has a bil underway called The no more excuses energy independence bill. He had something similar passed by congress and the senate some years ago.....ahem....it was vetoed by then President Clinton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drill NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTK

[nitehawk]

fume i cant believe anyone still remembers the SNAIL DARTERS. are you referring to the west side highway?

[The Great Fumar]

Hawk
No, I think it was the Tennessee Vally Authority trying to build a hydro electric dam.............But could be my memory is slipping.

[Lil Dancer]

Most folks don't consider that wind and solar are really only supplementary energy sources. As a person that spent about 35 years messing about with sail boats I saw first hand how limited wind energy can be. Many sailing days ended up powering due to lack of wind. Solar has another problem, sun doesn't shine at night and on rainy overcast days. The question is what energy source will they supplement? There must be a steady energy source that runs 24/7. At this point in time Nuclear energy appears to be in the lead for this although interesting work is being done on others. How do we get through the period until alternate energy sources are ready to pick up the load? I agree that we can't drill our way completely out of this mess but I think we need to drill as much as possible to get us through the 10 to 20 year period needed to build the needed alternate energy infrastructure. We are on a knife edge between supply and demand, and any blow up in the middle east could spell disaster for our economy and our country.

I agree with you in theory Bob, (we're sailboaters too), but what i'm afraid of , is the govt will get the okay for the drilling, then not do their job on taking the lead on developing alternative energy sources. I think a big part of what needs to happen is changing our culture to become smaller consumers of energy. Americans are totally different than Europeans in this respect. We drive huge SUV's, have huge houses with large energy demands, take 2 showers a day, the list is endless, and it appears the oil resources are not there to sustain those demands.

[nitehawk]

if i remember right - while living in nyc years back - the us govt gave nyc was to give a large amount of money to build a new highway on the west side of nyc - this highway was to be built with land fill along the hudson river (west side of nyc) - i remember seeing the local newpapers front page with a large check being presented to someone in charge of the project - stop - not so fast - someone found a small fish call the "snail" darter that could not exist if this highway was built - well the highway never got built and i guess the fish still exist - i think - only bad thing is there are now thousands of cars sitting in traffic polluting the already polluted air for hours on end - instead of being able to make their way in and out of nyc with greater ease - long live the snail darter there has to be a middle road for exploration and expansion without going to the extremes

[Jim007]

The only people, that more exploration and drilling for oil will benefit, are the big oil investors. The price of gas will not go down, because we will price our oil with the global market. And by the time the oil companies pay them self big salaries and profits, we will probably be paying more than we are now for gasoline. I think it is high time we rid ourselves of the enormous need for petroleum. If we can put man on the moon and send robots to Mars, I'm sure we could come up with an economically alternative to gasoline. Also what about using synthetic oil in our engines, since we are still tied to those inefficient conbustable engines. I've use synthetics for years, they work great, and I don't have to change my engine fluids as often.

As stupid and corrupt as this current administration has been, don't let them fool us into allowing the big oil companies to rape our natural resources for them to reap huge profits.

[GERALDINE]

Handieman: You hit the proverbial "nail on the head". Wake up people...we are in a CRISIS situation here in this country and all the liberal "tree huggers" have contributed greatly to us being in this situation. They're saying gas could easily be $7.00 a gallon yet this year. We have GOT to do something. Yes, Spotted Owls are nice...but so is being able to LIVE as a human being. God help us!!!

[travelstiles]

Thinking long-term, drilling for more oil is not going to encourage technological innovation or reduce our dependency on a finite resource. It's just a bandaid, or to use another analogy, a "fix" for an economy addicted to fossil fuel.
There were electric cars available in the 1990's (made by GM) but they were pulled off the market (see the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car.") The excuse that there are not enough facilities to charge these cars is not valid. After all, when Ford invented the gasoline fueled car, how many gas stations were out there? It takes a commitment by the people to investing in innovation to get us off oil and less dependent on oil producing nations.

[bobfl]

Hopeful energy source for the future! I have read about this before, has great promise. Maybe we can overcome the energy problem more quickly than we thought.


http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html

[Mikitv]

The oil companies don't want us to lose our dependency on oil. We need to learn and use other sources of energy. Mass transportation would be wonderful in this country but can't seem to function like it does in Europe. They make it work because they have been paying high dollars for energy for years. Congress has backed the car companies and oil companies every time they want something their way. Such as better gas mileage cars. Giving tax breaks to oil companies is a joke. All the tax breaks for the ordinary tax payer to pursue more conservative means of energy consumption disappeared. We are a country of greedy useage.

[Jim007]

If we could really be a contender in the oil producing market, and I highly doubt that we could if all we can produce is 2% of our need. But let's say we could contend in the market place. How long do you think it would take for us to join OPEC, and then sell our oil back to us at the market+ prices. So the oil money mongers of this country can make another buck to add to their already billions. More oil is not even a sound bandaide solution and should be forgotten. Money should be pumped, yes I said pumped into alternative energy so that we could be oil independent in 10 years. If we continue to let the auto and oil industries call the shots, we will be paying a lot more than $7.00 a gallon for gas.