Obama to allow offshore oil drilling

Since we’re using 7.1 billion barrels of oil a year, and spending $340 billion a year to import 4.1 billion barrels of that from foreigners, it wouldn’t hurt to pump more of our own oil instead.

President Obama says he’ll consider leasing offshore areas in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the seas north of Alaska. This is CO2-based energy, but it could be part of the economic bridge to the C02-free energy of the future.

Frank Warner

Comments

[Neo]

Actually, all this does is begin the process of doing the geological research to see if any of the possible sites seem worthwhile, It doesn't do anything to stop the multiple court challenges that are expected. Don't expect any oil from this to see the light of day for at least 5 years, probably more.

[CJW]

It was all going to happen anyway.

Obama seems to just do the bare minimum to look like he is doing something different from his normal to appease a side he couldn't normally appease. He captures the headlines as though he has gone way out of his way to give America something.

The same applied to his new support of that Georgia nuclear plant. It was an ongoing albeit inn the early stages project that he latched onto.

The same happened with downsizing the nuclear arsenal that his predeecessor shrunk more than he did, down from some 6000 to the current level he started with.

[CJW]

Oil drilling head fake-- Obama didn't open land for energy production, he closed it

[jj mollo]

I saw something on PBS that was a pretty convincing indictment of hydraulic fracking. The chemicals apparently end up in the water table. Some guy showed that he could light his sink on fire from the water that flows from his spigot.

I don't know how widespread the problem is, but it does make me wonder about the conflict between profits and and the environment. If we can't trust these companies who do fracking in PA, with the explicit support of the governor, how can we trust companies like Exxon in the offshore fields. I grew up with oil damage on the Jersey beaches. Things have gradually gotten better. I'd hate to lose those beaches.