Bush calls for offshore drilling

[DaiSpy]

The man who couldn't strike oil in Texas, says there is 18 billion barells of the stuff out there, so it's time to say "hasta la vista, Flipper! Let's drill some oil!"

[Frances]

We can't have it every way we want it. We want/need to lesson our dependency on imports of the stuff; we have the stuff in boundaries. We want to drive our big, ugly SUVs - it's time we start dealing with the big, ugly drilling process on the home front.

The world's not a perfect place. We can have everything we (think we) need and not pay a price for it.

In an ideal world, people would just use less fuel or alternative fuels. I am the only "green" person in my circle, and I don't see that changing soon (no matter how hard I try!).

[geally]

McCain keeps flip-flopping...he was against it just a short while ago.

[Frances]

This issue comes up time and time again. I don't know if it will ever happen, but - yes, many politicians go back and forth on this (and other) issue.

Can't wait for a viable form of teleportation. Then we can skip the drilling all together! ;-)

[DaiSpy]

The real kicker in the Bush plan is that it makes no difference to prices now. It will take at least 3-5 years to bring those reserves into production - even if they had test drilled them already, to know exactly where to drill. Oh, and that's conservatively speaking, if you take a look at BP's Crazy Horse operation in the Gulf of Mexico.

the other thing that is completely WRONG-HEADED with more domestic drilling is that the US already has a 17-20% refining capacity shortfall, so even if the ANWR and Continental Shelf were open for business tomorrow, all the extra oil would have to be shipped OUT of the USA to be refined, then IMPORTED back as refined products. None of the Big Oil players is planning a new refinery in the US, although they are building them elsewhere (Exxon and Shell are both building in Singapore).

The net effect of more domestic US oil production would actually be MORE imports, not less, and all the profits from the refining game would be made and untaxed in other countries. Big Oil gets free money.

Also, I can''t help but suspect that this was why we invaded Iraq. Not to get our hands on their oil, but to drive up the price until the US public screams uncle and allows more domestic drilling (or maybe it's just coincidence that Big Oil lubricates the GOP in general and the Bush administration in particular?=/ )

BUT, the thing that irritates me most about Bush demanding this is that he started off as a wild-cat driller and couln't hit oil in Texas. So WFT does he think he knows about where to find oil?!?:mad:

[Dolly Shiva]

You're absolutely right DaiSpy, and the situation looks no better today under Obama.

Have a look here. The current Mr Pres is often talking about how self-sufficient the US is becoming in regard to its energy consumption, but at what price??

Such drilling causes unimaginanble damage to the sea bed, aquatic life (and the life of those that live on the coast, whether four-legged, two-legged, or winged), even when all goes to plan and there is not one dropped spilled. Noise, exhaust polution and cracking of the sea bed does enough damage before we even begin to think about explosions and spills.

This is also not good for any coral on the sea bed, or the rare rocks, crystals and pearls found there. Indeed, we will all soon be shopping for cultured pearls at http://www.mesenso.com/, not simply because cultured pearls look great on Cheryl Cole's lobes, but because there won't be any of the natural ones left!