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Offshore drilling concerns

Submitted by WWAY on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 6:13pm.READ MORE:

The concern about the spike in gasoline prices is making its way to Congress. Democrats in the House of Representatives are preparing legislation that might relax the ban on drilling for oil off our coasts. The legislation will ask utility companies to also seek power from renewable sources, and provide tax incentives for alternative energy like wind power. "The tax credits that are currently given to the oil companies, approximately 15 billion dollars, can be utilized for renewable energy objectives." said Roger Shew, professor of environmental studies at UNCW. The prospect of relaxing the restrictions is drawing strong opposition from those concerned about the environment. They argue that offshore drilling will not help reduce oil prices.

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Google Tarballs and Texas

Submitted by George Raymond (not verified) on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 11:12am.

Do a Google search for "tarballs Texas" and see how many hits you get. I lived in Texas, went to the beaches and had to scrape tar off my feet with the kerosene and rags the hotels left by the door. Our beaches could be like that too. We should be investing in alternatives to oil; not drilling more to maintain our old, self-defeating habits and ruining our beaches too.

If you grew up in the Fifties and Sixties...

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 1:40pm.

...you would know that the beaches from Boston to Miami had tarballs coming in on every tide because of oil seeping from ships sunk off the coast during WW II. Somehow, we all survived.

Sure you "survived", but why

Submitted by Guest Sure you did.. (not verified) on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 8:04am.

Sure you "survived", but why spoil the coast with that if you don't HAVE to? We need to concentrate on alternatives instead of resorting to ruining our coast.

Tell us about the alternatives.....

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 6:14pm.

Tell us about what's ready to come on line as a replacement for gasoline and diesel within the next ten years.... ...and don't forget about the distribution infrastructure and cost. Then expalin why we can't drill for oil while we're developing alternatives that might pan out in time for my grandchildren. (BTW, if a tar spot on your heel ruins your day at the beach, you're one prissy individual.)

NC has very few things that

Submitted by vsm (not verified) on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 6:24am.

NC has very few things that make it a desirable place to live. The school system sucks, it’s the boonies no matter what part you move to, and the natives NCers have allot of pass issues they need to work out. The only thing NC has going for itself is its beaches. Only a fool would ruin them. I know tar heels is a big deal down hear but let’s keep it metaphoric.

Offshore drilling

Submitted by cintrek (not verified) on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 9:31am.

If Americans would do their research & learn that offshore drilling will not reduce the price of oil. I am a realist, I learn the facts & the facts state that even if oil companies start drilling today it will be at least 10 years before the fuel makes it to a useable product & gas will most likely be double the price by then. Let's use our money & resources to produce better energy instead of wasting it on something that's becoming obsolete, a dinosaur, plus it's definitely not the best for our environment. The facts also state that producing cleaner energy (no such thing as clean coal) will definitely create new higher paying jobs plus it will be cleaner for our environment. It has been proven just need to make it available to the masses.

You must be thinking

Submitted by Tired Of It Citizen (not verified) on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 11:07pm.

You must be thinking that Nancy Pelosi will be heading up the drilling operations. Actually it would be holding them up.

Wake up call!

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 1:51pm.

If you think that you're going to find a BTU equivalent replacement for gasoline in ten years, you're dreaming. Ethanol is doomed because it's still energy negative and the liberal saps can't grasp that it's more important that we drive than Sri Lankans eat. (Of course, the Sri Lankans likely disagree, but we're the ones growing the corn.) Fuel cell use in mobile platforms is going nowhere fast, and the hydrogen distribution system in this country isn't exactly booming. Biodiesel has great promise, but is having more than its fair share of birthing pains. It, too, is crippled by the "What will they eat" distraction. If a soybean can go to food use or biodiesel, it should go to.... ...the higher bidder. We need to be exploring alternatives to gasoline AND drilling at the same time. Like I said earlier, I fully intend to be here, driving and buying gasoline, in ten years, and increased supply will lower prices. Take the time to study the Pickens Plan. Not perfect, but better than depending upon pipe dream alternatives that may never come to fruition.

...and their argument is nonsense

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 6:45pm.

"They argue that offshore drilling won't help reduce oil prices." Greater supply will drop prices. It's an economic fact of life. Why do liberals insist on trying to argue against supply and demand? If you listen to Pelosi and the rest of the anti's, you hear them say that it will be ten years before that oil will make a difference. Well, I don't know about you, but I fully intend to be driving and buying gasoline in ten years.... ...or is the Democrat's plan to destroy America in nine years?

...or is the Democrat's plan

Submitted by Guest11111222222222222222 (not verified) on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 9:20am.

...or is the Democrat's plan to destroy America in nine years? Come on, are you serious? That would be what this administration of the past 8 years has done. Lets drill of NC's coast and not worry about spills/accidents/environment/anything..that will work! Lets not even worry about alternative energy, in fact, lets have no energy plan at all except to give breaks to big oil and the upper class!!! that will work...oh wait, it won't

Our last major oil spill from offshore drilling

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 1:31pm.

...was in 1969. We've learned quite a bit in forty years.

Oil spill

Submitted by Guest44 (not verified) on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 11:06am.

I happened upon this post (I know its a few years old) and couldn't help but to comment. The one thing I learned is greed is thriving.

Greed?

Submitted by Lothario (not verified) on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 12:27pm.

What does greed have to do with the current situation?

Greed makes BP, RIG, and HAL rejoice at a million dollars worth of oil floating away every third day?

Their greed makes them overjoyed at ten years of pending litigation that will cost them billions?

You act as if this was intentional.

Tell me - when a commercial airliner crashes, and keep in mind that that's one of the most heavily regulated areas in federal law, is that always due to the airline's greed?

We will learn from this accident the same as we learned from Santa Barabara and Piper Alpha.

Meanwhile, show me any other industry that has a safety record to match offshore drilling....and ask yourself if the federal ban on flaring contributed to this disaster.

I'd love to read your post if you were sitting in mile-long lines to buy gasoline, as we were in 1973. It's SOOOOOOO easy to hate the oil companies without every thinking of their contribution to building America. This country was built on oil, coal, and natural gas.

You can hate that fact and the oil companies as much as your little heart desires, but you need them and will for many years to come.

What you don't understand

Submitted by Guest4572 (not verified) on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 8:45am.

Is that offshore drilling/shale extraction is only profitable when oil is over $100/barrel. So the price of gas will not be greatly affected, there will just be more of it to buy at $3.90/gallon. You "supply/demand" drill here, drill now screamers are just silly. Little wonder you see the economy as sound.

Time to crack the books and study

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 1:36pm.

If you think that offshore drilling isn't economical unless oil is at $100 a barrel, you know absolutely nothing about oil recovery. How many offshore wells were being built when oil was $25 a barrel? HUNDREDS. Go check out the Gulf and the North Sea. Oil shale extraction makes economic sense once the price rises above $50 a barrel. Take the time to learn about oil and you can retire wealthy....or you can just make up facts and whine about it....

How about the Republicans

Submitted by GuestSPRT (not verified) on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 10:18pm.

How about the Republicans making it impossible to live in America? It's not just the Dems, but the politicians as a whole. There would be another word for Donkey in front of the whole if you drop the w. We need a new government that's run by the people for the people.. Oh we tried that but the politicians forgot that a long, long time ago.

It sure looks like it's already destroyed

Submitted by Guesthadenough (not verified) on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 9:48pm.

Am I better off than 8 years ago? Duh, ummm, duh...I don't think so! Pelosi and her crew ain't no better either. The world market dictates oil price. Drillin' is only going to help the oil companies (which i have no problem with), it's not going to bring the price down.

Oil spill !!! It is a unnatural disaster,

Submitted by janelle (not verified) on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 8:45pm.

Okay first things first the goverment needs to take over !!!
They take taxes out of the sale they approve the drilling.I say clean it up ! Back charge oil company for the cost.Take charge and share the responsablity.

Takeover the drilling off shore if needed.
There are Endangered Animals in the ocean that are migrating from all over the world.
Sea turtles are global swimmers that come here to lay there eggs which are supposed to be protected.
This is a world issue.

You want the government to take over drilling?

Submitted by Lothario (not verified) on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 11:36am.

What in the world makes you think that the government knows anything about drilling for oil? If companies like Transocean, BP, and Haliburton, who have been doing this for decades can have a major accident, how do you think the government will do?

With the current gang that can't shoot straight in charge, odds say that they'd blow billions of dollars drilling and never find any oil.

BTW, an oil spill in warmer waters is not comparable to the colder waters of Prince William Sound. The Ixtoc blowout dumped about 420,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico for nine months, and the environmental impact was non-existent save for one lost tourist season on the Texas and Mexican beaches.

The oil breaks down much faster in warm water and estimates are that as much as a third of the oil spilled since last month may have already evaporated.

I feel bad for the birds and marine mammals as well, but the simple fact is that we need this oil. We learned a lot from Santa Barbara in '69 and we'll learn a lot from this, too.

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