ANWR... To drill or not to drill?

[VHawk15]

I say yes to an independent energy source and thus, no to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My opposition has absolutely nothing to do with some sort of tree-hugging leftist agenda, and everything to do with basic economic principles.

Even if we began drilling today, the oil that Americans are searching for wouldn't hit the pumps for years, maybe even a decade. It's been estimated that if we tapped into the banned areas off the coast of Florida and California, it would eventually produce 250,000 barrels a day. This may seem like an impressive figure, but consider our country consumes more than 20 million barrels a day.

More importantly, the common misconception is that the oil that we find is ours to keep. This is untrue, as oil is traded on the world market. Ending the Congressional ban on offshore drilling would allow any oil company to drill, American or not.

By 2015, it is estimated that the world will consume almost 100 million barrels a day. It is pretty simple math. I find it unfathomable that 250,000 more barrels a day 8-10 years from now will have an substantial impact on what I pay at the pump.

For Big Oil, it is a land grab. Oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres that have not been touched. They are fighting for a ban on offshore drilling to claim mineral rights on plots of lands because it means immediate revenue. Here's a newsflash: Big Oil is not concerned with how much you are paying at the pump.

This whole offshore drilling farce is a distraction from ending our financially disastrous oil addiction and becoming completely energy independent.

[Guru13]

I say yes to an independent energy source and thus, no to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My opposition has absolutely nothing to do with some sort of tree-hugging leftist agenda, and everything to do with basic economic principles.

Even if we began drilling today, the oil that Americans are searching for wouldn't hit the pumps for years, maybe even a decade. It's been estimated that if we tapped into the banned areas off the coast of Florida and California, it would eventually produce 250,000 barrels a day. This may seem like an impressive figure, but consider our country consumes more than 20 million barrels a day.

More importantly, the common misconception is that the oil that we find is ours to keep. This is untrue, as oil is traded on the world market. Ending the Congressional ban on offshore drilling would allow any oil company to drill, American or not.

By 2015, it is estimated that the world will consume almost 100 million barrels a day. It is pretty simple math. I find it unfathomable that 250,000 more barrels a day 8-10 years from now will have an substantial impact on what I pay at the pump.

For Big Oil, it is a land grab. Oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres that have not been touched. They are fighting for a ban on offshore drilling to claim mineral rights on plots of lands because it means immediate revenue. Here's a newsflash: Big Oil is not concerned with how much you are paying at the pump.

This whole offshore drilling farce is a distraction from ending our financially disastrous oil addiction and becoming completely energy independent.

well hello there VHawk, haven't seen you in awhile.