Offshore Drilling and a 10 Year Plan

With the executive ban on offshore drilling officially lifted by President Bush, the deciding factor now lies with Congress and the legislative ban that must also be lifted in order for drilling to occur. If this were to happen actual prices at the gas pump would not immediately decrease. The White House openly states there is no “quick fix” for the price of oil however starting now can help in the future. More politicians are openly expressing their support for allowing offshore drilling and exploration.

Florida Congressman, Jeff Miller (Rep.) was previously opposed to offshore drilling. He has recently stated it may be time to lift the ban and begin to use the resources available to us. In an NPR news article dated July 14th Congressman Miller is quoted, saying:

“I think when the public begins to change their tune … then elected leaders need to be paying attention as well. The breaking point seemed to be $4-a-gallon gas,”

A fiscally conservative group of Democrats known as the Blue Dog Coalition are also in favor of opening new areas for drilling. A recent CNN Opinion Poll and a Gallup poll show that American’s want to drill. Why? Do people really believe that the price of gas would decrease immediately? Are we, as American’s, tired of purchasing foreign oil?

While the debate about drilling domestic oil continued this week, Al Gore presented an aggressive energy plan for America. A 10 year plan Mr. Gore likened to the Apollo Moon Project, stating that it may seem impossible but it can be accomplished. Mr. Gore emphasized:

“Our success depends on our willingness as a people to undertake this journey and to complete it within 10 years. Once again, we have an opportunity to take a giant leap for humankind,”

Can we combine efforts? Offshore drilling and Mr. Gore’s 10 year goal are both things that will take time. A balanced approach is necessary to accomplish Energy Independence and to decrease (or end) our dependence on oil. Domestic drilling is not the answer, however, it is part of the process.

Related Posts:

• Al Gore’s Call for 100% Renewable Energy Within 10 Years
• Potential McCain Running Mate Florida Governor Charlie Christ has Green Cred - Is it deserved?
• Bush Lifts Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling, Why it Matters and Why it Doesn’t

Photo Credit: Nantaskart! via Flickr Creative Commons License

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