Science: Offshore Drilling

What is it?

There is currently a heated debate of the pros and cons of offshore drilling. Although it has been outlawed for the past 30 years, owing to the current rising gas pricing, many people are re-thinking the idea. While many people are opposed to idea, saying that it will destroy wildlife in Alaska, California, and Florida, and we don’t need rigs on our coasts when we have the technology to create alternative energy sources, others differ in opinion. While we consume the largest amount of fossil fuels in relation to our size, almost none comes from within America itself. While we have some of our own off of our shores and it provides jobs as well, why shouldn’t we use it? Some of the other reasons why not include that it would take about 10 years for any of that oil to reach American citizen’s tanks, and the jobs are generally high-risk. Offshore drilling in Alaska could endanger the Salmon population as well if streams are polluted.



What do I think?

Offshore drilling should not be allowed anywhere, and we should not stand for it, especially off of our own coasts. Alternate energies are available; they just need to be mass produced to make them cheaper, and mass producing calls for a large demand. Some of the alternative energy sources include solar, geothermal, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cells, electricity, and a new source being researched: algae. I believe America has the ability to lead an energy “revolution”, and we need to start today. Drilling more will only increase our reliance on oil instead of promoting alternative energy sources.




What do they think?

John McCain wants to lift the current ban on offshore drilling owing to the current gas prices and state of the economy. He believes the extra jobs it opens up and the amount of oil it will produce will be significant enough to help destabilize our current job and economic crisis.

Barack Obama opposes offshore drilling in favor of research and development of alternative energies such as Solar, Geothermal, Biodiesel, and wind energy. He wants to reduce America’s oil intake by 30 percent by 2030, and he has said “What I will not do, and this has always been my position, is to support a plan that suggests this drilling is the answer to our energy problems.” He does not plan to lift the ban on offshore drilling like McCain does.