Comments on: Reality Check On Offshore Drilling

Most Americans Support Lifting The Ban, But Experts Say Gas Prices Wouldn't Change

[labrat9999]

We can keep playing this stupid game about where in the world is oil until the cows come home but it ain''t going to change a thing. We as Americans need to look at this problem straight on...we are running out of oil. It will either be today, tomorrow, next year of the year after but eventually we will be looking at the same problems again in the future. So why not be smart and get ahead of the problem now? I think unfortunately too many American are always looking for a quick fix and not the long term solution. This is part of the problem with our auto industry that wasn''t willing to change and start looking at other types of vechicles other than gas gosling SUVs. America is one of the greatest countries in the world but we need to start being the greatest innovators in the world instead of looking for excuses for are own stupidity. The sooner we move off oil the sooner we can start becoming the world leader again instead of kissing up to the Arab world!

[davideo2]

Ok, since oil prices won''t come down for a few years we should wait until then... Won''t we then be wishing we had drilled now?

Hybrids and electrics are just toys. You cannot run airliners or trains with either. The power density just isn''t there. Probably never will be. The best electric plane you could possibly ever make will be propeller driven; a complete throw back from the jet age.

Tarballs from offshore drilling hurting the tourist trade on the coasts? Hah! I live on a coast. The tarballs here are all from natural seepage. They keep the water around the existing rigs cleaner than the rest of the area so they don''t get shut down.

And, if the tourists can''t afford gas, how are they going to get here in the first place???

[xyno-2009]

I found this quote from Exxon''s earnings announcement today very interesting:

Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson, 56, is spending $52 million a day to search for new fields after reserves fell in 2007 by the most in at least a decade.

[briannorwood]

If you are wondering why Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger are against offshore drilling, just Google the term "tarball".

If you have ever been to Galveston, you surely know all about them.

Yes, there may be billions of dollars for the oil companies offshore, but there are trillions of tourist dollars onshore up and down both coasts.

All I''m saying is that the topic is worth discussion, but is not nearly as black and white as the oil companies and their GOP supporters would have us believe.

[lilvinnyb]

1. The purpose of offshore drilling is not to totally replace the imports...its to supplement and if necessary, replace. So the argument that it would be used up in 16 years is nonsensical because it assumes that the supply is the ONLY source of oil.

2. The speculative market would immediately react to more drilling, speculating that there will be increased supply, the prices would drop.

After bush pushed for offshore drilling, the price dropped 11 dollars a barrel in 3 days.....who says theres no immediate impact. My latest drive by a gas pump currently shows supreme at 4.11...last week it was 4.22. Fact it...the drilling argument is working...the "alternative energy ***" is what will take 30 years.

The real "BS" are those people who think that a highly industralized economy will run on solar and wind power. The real "BS" are those who pushed for more Ethanol, only to have the price of corn skyrocket...driving up the price of ALL our groceries.

[bigwhtpony]

Why do you expect this to change, especially considering the present condition of the dollar?
Posted by rf35 at 11:38 AM : Jul 31, 2008

It doesn''t have to change. The additional oil on the open market would lower the price (see Economics 101 - Supply and Demand.)

[rf35]

And frankly I''d rather we be drilling and producing our own oil rather than supporting the sheiks in the Middle East.
Posted by WellHell3

Of course you realize that we do not use a single drop of oil currently produced domestically. Every last barrel is exported. Why do you expect this to change, especially considering the present condition of the dollar?

[bigwhtpony]

It can be done but it needs to be done responsibly and with some independant oversight.
Posted by fedupwithit1 at 10:18 AM : Jul 31, 2008

This is a reasonable and cogent point. Everyone can agree on this. Thank you!

[bobnjersey]

[Most Americans Support Lifting The Ban, But Experts Say Gas Prices Wouldn''t Change]

another example of the stupidity of the american electorate. they''re for anything as long as they''ve heard it''s good for ''them''.

they can''t tell you a thing about political process, what bills are approved, what''s actually hidden in these bills, who''s in what position, or how any of this might affect them ... but they''ll answer a stupid poll question w/ certainty.

they know the contestants on american idol, the finalists on dancing w/ the stars, each seasons winner on survivor, and the era of every pitcher in mlb ... but not anything that''s really important ... that which affects their lives ... and the lives of their children.

[beamer297]

Folks- What about the 96 million acres already leased for drilling but big oil would''t drill, but want additional acreage to grab so that *** Cheney and THE REPUBLICANS will be filthy rich for eternity. Why not drill on the areas now availaible before asking for more. Exxon just reported $11B dollars inprofit. The name of the game that is driving up oil prices is is greed, falling dollar, huge deficits, poor economic management by Bush and the GOP, wasteful wars. Do you want McCain and the RepublicanS to manage this economy after the 8 years of mess, $10 trillion dollars of debt. Vote for a CHANGE this November if you love America. What you are watching is the begining of the decline of once a great or attempted great empire. Like the Roman, British, Persian etc- the days are numbered especially with people electing the wrong LEADERS based on idiology. America open your eys in November or you will be lied to again. A gallon of gas was around $2 dollars 8 years ago, now it is over $4/gallon. It is the same for grocery, college tuition, all raw material etc. The ever decrasing buying power of the dollar and a lot of the economic miamanaged must be blamed on MaCain and his support of Bush idiology. They are fooling you again about drilling- EXXON and CO. drill on the 96 million acres that are avalaible before making this an election issue.