Obama on oil drilling: 'Not a long-term solution'

No offshore drilling. Already expressed this opinion to my U. S. Representative, my Senators, and President Bush

Global warming is an urgent critical issue. So find alternative energy has the priority. Cheap and careless use of oil adds up CO2.

oppose additional offshore drilling. We need to invest in alternative forms of engery, and the american auto makers need to produce autos that utilize the new techilogies. America has been lazy gluttons for too long. It's time we used our resources to ride ourselves of our depentance on oil.

Durbin is right. Let them drill what they already have first. And let's see the check for the damages awarded from the Exxon Valdez before anything else is even discussed.

no drilling, bite the bullet now, get the middle eastern noose off our neck.............................and say good bye to big oil, an bush ,the fat cats,they dont want gold plated forks and knifes..........they want solid gold.its time to wake up america before its too late

Yes, it's that time of the year -- AGAIN!

SHAMEFUL political posturing that is NO different from the oil tax holiday proposed earlier by the likes of BILLARY Clinton -- and John McCain!

Well, if you understand oil leases (big hedge bets) vs. the reality of what is there underneath...then the DEmocrat statement "utilize you existings leases" does not work. Oil under a majority fo the leases is NOT proven. ...Second, McCain if you study his own published ...IN TOTO... speech, did not think opening proven US oil reserves is the ultimate answer. He too supports alternative energy. Barack's statement is disinginuous as it suggests McCain thinks opening US oil is long tern solution. McCain's long term solution is NON dependence on Middle East Oil!

DRILLING: How could it hurt? Wake up Washington, ya dinks.

i understand that there are thousands or inactivated, capped, but productive wells all over the USA and that the oil companies won't renew pumping from these wells because they consider them to be an appreciating asset. I vote for immediate nationalization of oil and all the energy industries in the USA so they can indeed be operated in the interests of the people. Questions about drilling in the ocean or ANWR are nothing but a silly and worthless game.

Of course drilling is a long-term solution. Rather than politicizing this, just say what you believe! Drilling will damage the earth!

My answer to whether I agree with lifting the ban on offshore drilling?

I think the father was wise. The son is a fool to choose to break his rule.

Short-term, short-sighted. Short term- the father and the proposed result of lifting his ban.

Short-Sighted- the son. And he wants us to think that way too. Like, who really believes that lifting the ban on offshore drilling and opening up ANWAR for drilling will have any short term effect. Only the foolish one- the son.

Obama is right on. It's amazing that anyone would think so short-term or else believe there is a limitless supply of fossil fuels - but that's the mentality behind continued drilling. And why roll the dice with global warming? We're gambling with the lives of our great-grandchildren. It makes no sense. We need to assert leadership in this area. Today's oil company's today are yesterday's tobacco companies. Profit over sense.

If there was a sign that this oil problem was temporary, then relief would be better than reform. However, there is no sign of that, and Obama is right to look to longer-lasting solutions.

Drilling offshore for US oil only prolongs the inevitable. Oil is a finite resource. It will someday be depleted. High oil prices now make investment in alternative energy sources and schemes more economically attractive. I have been waiting for this day. Serious research and investment in renewable energy is sure to come. We just have to keep OIL from buying and shelving the rights to promising technologies. Obama is right. Bush and McCain are shortsighted --- again. Further, wouldn't it be better to keep American oil untouched and let the rest of the world supply for now?

I think Barack Obama is right on target. The effects of the proposals to begin offshore drilling and the gas tax hiatus would be miniscule at best. Neither would benefit the average American.

There are more reasons than one why drilling for oil in pristine areas is a very bad idea. There are three reasons:

1. We only have a few pristine areas left, and when they are gone, that's it for the period of our habitation on this planet. Sure, after we're gone, they'll come back eventually.

2. If we go on like this burning fossil fuels, probably before the end of most of our lives, we will have a constant crisis on our hands, famine, disease, refugees, war--and life on a desert planet for the fortunate.

3e It won't lower high gas prices..

Obama is right, lifting the drilling moratorium today does not change anything, it takes 6 years or more before the first drop of oil comes out. We are better off investing our money in mass transit to give Americans options besides driving and we still have a chance to lead the world in new energy sources. we can still invent new ways to harness energy from the sun, wind and other options. Drilling more is like buying more heroin to give a heroin addict.

drilling is not the answer, We drilled Alaska Prudhoe Bay 35 years ago. Nothing change, Americans continued to drive gas hogs,,,,SUVs trucks, answer is in smaller cars as the rest of the world...decreasing usage, mass transit where leverage is available........

Unfortunately off-shore oil drilling is not even a temporary solution. Although I believe that the government should do what the majority of Americans want I must say that the only reason anyone would want off-shore oil drilling is if they do not understand how the oil market works.

America's huge and constantly growing oil demand is nearly perfectly inelastic. Unfortunately for all of us this means that the costs incurred by American industry to produce the tens of millions of barrels of oil a day that it will take to decrease the cost of a barrel of oil by about a dollar can be totally ineffective as a way of lowering the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

The point here being that off-shore oil, oil in the northern regions of the contiguous United States, and oil in Alaska, if brought to full production, will not solve our oil crisis because the market is open to imports and exports.

The only reason to argue for off-shore drilling is that our government shouldn't be maintaining any restrictions on our already failing industries that once upon a time supported a great American economic system.

I'm appalled at people's indignation over the rising cost of oil. We have gotten ourselves into this mess by refusing to face reality and consider the future. For too long we have lived in an instant gratification society. Offshore and ANWR drilling is NOT the instant fix and will NOT solve the rising costs we face at and because of the gas pumps (i.e., rising food costs). For years conservation and alternative sources of energy have drawn laughter and derision. Had we addressed these issues long ago rather than riding the wave of cheap oil, we wouldn't be in this predicament.

no to off shore drilling

I agree that the high prices are due to speculation. So call the speculators from Wall Street to the White House. After the credit crunch the speculators flooded new pastures to wreck havoc.

I suggest for the consumers all over the world to voluntarily have gasoline free Sundays. This will drive down demand and prices. It worked also in the 70's

Your question has an easy answer - BOTH!

As long as there is one car or power plant using fossil fuels in this country, then this country should be drilling for oil anywhere in its territory, onshore or offshore, where oil in exploitable quantities can be found. Such drilling should, of course, adhere to environmental protections and regulations, but it should be done.

There is something immoral about refusing to drill in your own backyard because "it is bad for the environment" while being perfectly willing to buy the oil pulled out of someone else's back yard. We use this product, therefore we should be willing to accept the responsibility to find this product on our own soil and deal with the environmental risks of that process if we expect other countries to do the same.

We are already beginning to see the environmental effects of extensive fossil fuel development. If we really intend to move forward, let's move forward and develop the "alternative" technologies that we already have access to. If the oil executives want to keep making money, they can help us by investing their record profits into long-term solutions. They still win, but we don't have to lose, but you can't fight evolution even if you don't believe in it. In the meantime, we will have to cut back our usage be conservative with our resources in order to keep our economy rolling. It's not like the hippies didn't tell us all this was coming a long time ago. dern those hippies.

I have done my part. I cut consumption over 50%. Obama will kill the goose. Our oil companies are the world's most efficient. We must drill wherever needed to keep a supply. I believe the current high prices are driven by media coverage and speculators.

I agree with Mr. Obama: Removing the ban on offshore drilling would not have any effect on oil supplies for a decade or more. People need relief in ten days not ten years.

I am greatly encouraged by Barack Obama's plan to spend "massive" amounts on renewable resources, as I think that is the only long term solution to this problem. Even if we did possess enough oil off our coasts to have a lasting impact on gas prices it would come at the effect of the promotion of the same disastrous conditions of carbon dioxide emissions that are causing global warming which I feel poses more of a problem than the current pinch due to gas prices.

Pretty simple I support both like most americans. There is not two sides to this issue. If Obama practices the non-partisan politics he preaches he would see that. I agree that massive funding should be placed into renewable energy research. I also think we should take every measure to increase the US's oil/gas productions

I am against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, this will cause a major impact on our beloved planet earth. We need to stop these oil companies who are trying to get as rich as they can at the expense of our economy and our planet. Doesn't President Bush own a lot of oil companies in Texas???

It seems that Senator Durbin has hit the nail on the head. I wonder when the Media will get the nerve to start reporting that way? One question I have is; just exactly where does all the oil from Alaska go to in the end? Is it the Far East?

Obama is right. It's not a short-term or long-term solution. It's politics; and not even good politics. In the ten years it would take for renewed drilling to produce results, we could be investing in alternatives and be much further along in our oil-addiction recovery program. Renewed drilling just postpones the inevitable switch to alternatives, and it's all perception rather than reality. The sooner we start getting "real," the sooner we will have an energy source that is renewable and relatively price stable. Throw in non-polluting, and you have a real, long-term solution. Unfortunately, there are no short-term ones. Even going to war is no guarantee. If you factor in what we've been spending on Gulf War II since 2003, it makes $4 per gallon gasoline look like a heck of a bargain. So, if President Bush really wants to help, let's stop spending trillions to protect the Saudi oil fields from Saddam. Let's let Iraq start pumpin' and the Saudis can afford to spend their own trillions to protect their fields. If we play our cards right, we won't care if they start banging each other over the head.

I'm glad someone in politics realizes that lower fuel prices doesn't mean that the problem is solved.

Like anyone else, I am tired of the pain at the pump to fill up my car, but I would much rather pay a bit more for a bit longer and have the final outcome being cheap, clean, renewable energy than to temporarily lower the prices and have everyone forget until it becomes a permanent problem down the road.

I can take paying 20 bucks to recharge my future electric car using wind or solar power, since I know those prices will never go up unless the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing. In either case, fuel would then be our smallest concern. But renewable energy isn't subject to the same speculation and corruption that oil has fallen to.

When the the wrong reasoning leads to the right answer...
I don't generally support the Democratic position but I do respect some of Obama's positions. Regarding this issue, Obama and the dem's have stumbled into the right logic even supported initially by flawed reasoning. The historical enmity that Dem's have for the 'oil rich' GOP core represented by the petroleum leveraged families is what initiated the Dem's long term stance against further drilling in the US and off-shore. Environmental issues where tangential but important, and I understand those issues but wiegh them against the resource and larger imperatives that now loom. In the final analysis though, the position that states, 'We can't drill ourselves out of this dilemma', is the correct position for the early 21st century. The only course to a sustainable future is to commit the talent and resources to development of alternative means. The 21sst century will about resources and populations. Whoever gains the best advantage in the next sustainable and affordable energy source first, wins the major competitive advantage position in the early part of what will the most interesting century in the history of man. Any other course is simply a stop gap and further delays the inevitable.

I feel there should be no lift of the ban on offshore oil drilling. Why is this even being considered when oil companies already have access to 68 million acres of land they are allowed to drill on? This is outlandish!! I live in San Francisco Bay area. I have witnessed the devastation and lived through multiple oil spills in the ocean. Chevron has oil refineries here in Bay Area. Yes, they have had oil spills. The death of wildlife, fish, and cleanup is overwhelming and unbelievable. No offshore oil drilling is 100% safe - period. Accidents always can happen, then comment are, "whoops!" I am horrified this outlandish populist suggestion has been made. Voters we need to clean up our water. I can not accept President Bush or John McCain placating voters that oil drilling will be safe with no risks. need to move on to being efficient, alternates Oil prices are

I think drilling anywhere on US soil would be a good Idea if the oil stays here. The trouble is it will go into the big bucket and it will do us no good. We should institute a food for oil plan since those middle east sob's can't irrigate their crops with oil. They have to be buying their food from somewhere. Lets start speculating on the price of corn flakes and big macs and drive the price of their food up to the point they can't afford it, then talk to them about the amount of oil they see fit to sell us. They're hitting us where it hurts, so lets hit them where it hurts, in the stomach.

You don't turn up the heat in the winter with the windows and door wide open.

Get the huge SUV's off the roads (or tax them at 'oil-pig' rates and use the money for solar and wind purchases), THEN we can talk about emergency drilling off the beaches.

The oil companies make $billions, the incremental oil production saves a few nickels/gallon, and it's 'whoops' when they destroy 100 miles of beach. Exxon has still paid ZERO for the Valdez devastation.

For years I’ve listened to how drilling for oil in Anwar would relieve our nation’s energy problems. Today I looked the numbers up for myself. The truth is clear. If we had been replacing only 20% of our foreign oil imports with Anwar production since we first heard ‘drill Anwar for energy freedom’ Anwar would now be dry.

Here are the numbers from the USDOE and USGS. The best guess at Anwar reserves is 7.7 billion barrels. In April 2008 we imported 9.92 million barrels per day. If only 20% of that were pulled from Anwar, Anwar would be dry in around 10 years. If somehow we could stop oil imports entirely and replace them with Anwar oil Anwar would be dry in about 2 years.

While none of these numbers are exact, the conclusion which can be drawn is indisputable by any honest person who can do the math. Drilling Anwar for energy independence is the position of liars or their fools.

I don’t know, and don’t believe anyone knows, how much oil can be found on America’s coasts. But I doubt any expert believes the reserves along America’s shores could provide America its energy freedom for 10, much less 100 years. My suggestion is this. Congress should compromise. It should introduce severe new fuel economy standards for ALL vehicles and tie that legislation to authorization to explore our coastal waters. That won’t solve our energy problem, but would give us a credible start.

If we are going to leave any semblance of a modern transportation system to our grandchildren and their kids we’ve got to understand and take heed of what the numbers tell us. Maybe we should fund a few more math teachers as well.

Pertinent Data Sources:
1. Anwar Reserves: US Geological Survey
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0028-01/fs-0028-01.htm

2. US Energy Imports: US Department of Energy
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

To the average American suffering from high oil prices at the pump and the overall rise in prices elsewhere (particularly at the supermarket), this probably seems like a good idea. They just want relief now. But that is not the answer (short or longterm), just as sending out checks to stimulate the economy won't accomplish that either.

Again, another example of Bush's failure to either understand [in this case] the economic dynamics at work, or this is yet again an example of his failure to grasp the long-term consequences of his actions.

A few years ago, Nelson Mandela said it best, the gist of which was, "We have a President with very poor analytical skills."

Without a great deal of knowledge about the pros and cons of off shore drilling, my first response is to lift the ban. However, if there is a vast amount of available land undeveloped, perhaps that should be explored first. But whatever the decision, some relief should be explored quickly to relieve our dependence on foreign oil.

Don't drill. Solar energy is the only long term solution.

You must be kidding. Swerving to avoid an oncoming truck is not a long-term solution, but I recommend you take the opportunity. All the Progressives are aghast at the cost of "Bush's endless war"; what about the trillions leaving the US for foreign oil? And we won't do anything about it because someone might benefit more than oneself? One must be a moron.

I strongly believe that when we eventually withdraw our troops from Iraq and come to a sustainable relationship with the Muslim countries, who just happen to be the major oil producers of the world, then we will be in a more favorable position to negotiate with them on the prices and production levels of oil. Also, as Obama stated, increasing drilling on currently protected areas of the U.S. is only a very short term solution. We must invest more seriously in alternative energy sources, so that we may become independent of that rapidly diminishing resource which we hold dangerously minimal control over.

Let's drill. When we pull up and leave, nature will reclaim whatever minor impact our development has had on the seabed, ANWR, etc. And we're part of nature's mosaic, too; if a moray can't show sympathy for a passing wrasse, I can't sweat my temporary imposition on his habitat, either. Readers, please check out "Cool It" by Bjorn Lomborg for a measured and persuasive consideration of how sustained economic growth will best mitigate even the most dire predicted consequences of climate change and allow greater priorities to be met now to reduce immediate human suffering.

no drilling!

If they have 68 million acres that can be tapped for oil, why do they want to go to the National Wildlife Refuge and off shore for oil. Somethings missing in this article. Why do we keep wasting our time with oil when we could change to 2nd generation bio-fuels and send a message to the Middle East that we are not screwing around anymore. The best way to lower oil prices is to cut back on oil.

This should be clear to some, since they have so many unused lands, they want a bit more before this president leaves, as he is a servant of the oil economy, which is the destructive to the regular tax payer like you and myself.

They want more land, so in the future, oil prices will get so high, that using those lands will actually produce oil as cheap (or highly priced indeed) as the imported oil itself without any competition that would drop the digging price down. In otherwords, it is a monopoly, they want to control those lands, before the time of future use and real competition comes.

Please understand people, those guys want what has been clear, they want to please the oil companies, with our blood, and our pockets. They do not want renewable energies, it is a shame that Europe is way ahead of us in clean power, do your search and research, we are way way behind because of the Bush and McCain policies and way of destruction.

We use ~20 million barrels of oil per day. I heard that at peak production, these offshore facilities would produce ~18 million barrels of oil PER YEAR. Will that really help us out that much? I don't think so...

Alaska’s Gull Island Oil Fields Could Power U.S. for 200 Years

“Crude oil is the real ‘currency’ of the world,” said Lindsey Williams at a gathering of the Midwest Concerned Citizens group in Kansas City on July 22. But Americans will never hear about huge oil and gas reserves in the United States, which, if ever tapped, would bring today’s fuel prices at least as low as $1.50 per gallon and make America more energy independent.

As a Baptist missionary in the 1970s, Williams said he rubbed elbows with members of the world’s power elite—who boasted of detailed 30-year and 50-year plans to control the flow of oil and information.

A huge quantity of crude oil and natural gas exists under Gull Island, located in the waters of Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, says Williams. He cited key British Petroleum memoranda and related the statements of upper echelon oil officials who told him that Gull Island would be kept under wraps, limiting domestic supplies so Americans would someday see prices hit up to $10 a gallon at the pump.

“Every issue in the world today relates to crude oil,” said Williams. The U.S. occupation of Iraq and the saber rattling about attacking Iran fit into the crude oil matrix.

Iran is being targeted because it’s one of several countries that want to use their own currencies for oil sales, rather than using the U.S. dollar. Williams told AFP that any country that doesn’t want to “play ball” with the U.S. government and the financial and oil interests is, in essence, put on a hit list.

The United States, he said, learned that Iran intended to form its own bourse and not use the dollar for oil sales. Therefore, the notion that Iran is a menacing “almost-nuclear” country was trumped up, presented as fact via the corporate media and Iran is now in the crosshairs.

Other nations wanting more independence from U.S. meddling include Norway, Venezuela, Nigeria, Bolivia, Sweden and Russia.

The 30-year plan, which was first proposed three decades ago and is nearing fruition, included smug assurances from oil officials that the United States will triple its crude-oil usage and alternative fuels will not be allowed to gain enough ground to make a difference. They also noted that all foreign oil production will be scaled back to the United States and that Americans soon will pay $4 to $5 a gallon at the pump and could pay as much as $7 to $10 down the road.

In the early 1960s crude oil was selected as a tool of world control, Williams said, adding, “What we pay at the gas pump is a form of taxation.” The American consumer’s dependence on crude oil thus far has enabled people from foreign oil-producing nations to buy T-bills (U.S. treasury notes) in order to support the U.S. national debt and continued deficit spending. The need to support that debt puts the U.S. government in a bind, forcing Americans to remain dependent on foreign oil.

Williams, as a chaplain in 1970 when the trans-Alaskan oil pipeline was finished, ministered among the pipeline workers. However, as time passed he made a favorable impression with the top brass and was asked to improve worker-company relations. Next thing he knew, he said he was sitting at meetings of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and various meetings of oil executives over a three-year period.

He told AFP that the IMF-World Bank acts as a middleman between oil producing nations and refineries. In so doing, they set oil prices, he said.

The big event in that three-year period was in 1977 when an Atlantic Richfield oil executive told him, “We have just drilled into the largest pool of oil in North America—[and] in the world!”

That pool was Gull Island. It was said that there was enough natural gas to supply America for 200 years. But to this day, “not one drop” of that oil has been released to American refineries, Williams said.

There is no backbone left in the House or Senate on dealing constructively with the oil dependency issue. Oil is not only an economic issue, it is on strategic importance as well. We can survive without universal health care and funding for college, but we cannot survive without energy, and for the immediate future, this means oil.

The energy crisis is a complex problem with many dimensions. While is may be true that additional drilling will not solve the problem, it will help solve one dimension of the problem. It is not the end all solution but rather on more step in helping to solve the problem. No solution will solve the problem right away. Additionally, the steps to solve this problem requires both short term and long term solutions.

I am shocked that we Americans are not permitted to drill offshore to seek oil independence but the Chinese are drilling withing 50 miles of Key West and within 100-125 miles of Gulf Coast states. There is some need to operate within limited environmental restrictions but a balance of interests must be made. In the long run, a sea bird or jumping mouse has less equity than human needs. We need to the guts to let some things go and advance our society. Should there be some environmental damage, so be it. the record of the earths existance has recorded a cycle of life form extinction. the strongest survive and that needs to be the way it is. We cannot protect everything at the loss of our own requirments.

It's stupid not to utilize the resources(oil) that are available to us. The altenative approach, such as ethenol, is driving up the cost of food, wind power is expensive and part of the solution for our oil dependency, is to get and use the oil that is out there. The Democrats are blocking the solutions that will maintain our current standard of living and the alternatives they are pushing will keep driving up prices, thus pushing more and more of us into poverty conditions. They are killing the middle class, which they say they want to help. Bull, they want us to become more and more dependent on government. I'm not ready for Socialism but with the growing power of the liberals, it will soon be here.

I support drilling on our own territory for our own oil. The reason the oil companies have not drilled on the "68 million acres" they now possess is that there is probably no oil there or the expense to get to it makes it financially infeasible. American oil for American needs and the American people. What's so hard about that? Why doesn't our government get it?

Should we destroy all of our land and air for just a little bit of energy that won't last? Think beyond your personal existence and the answer is simple.

Durbin needs to take Economics 101, or at least try to get a passing grade. Of course we should be drilling offshore, and in the Arctic. Any other country in the world sitting on our reserves would be accessing them. Of course we should be pursuing alternative energy, but that isn't a short term solution. Why does Obama think we can manage a long-term solution without dealing with the short term? What's wrong with doing both?

Republicans and Democrats have fundamentally different opinions on the energy crisis. Republicans favor drililng for oil. I believe that is because our President is an oil man and his vice president profits from the use of oil equipment. Their cronies also like the profits they make by drilling more, it is kind of like the gold rush of the 1800's.
I side with OBama. The way out of our crisis is to focus our efforts on removing our dependence on Middle East oil. The best way to do that is to focus on renewable energy technology. What happened to the electric car? When will we be able to plug a car into our solar powered house and have all the energy we need for lights, commuting, hot water, and heat? That is the solution.

If Barack Obama sticks to his guns and does not cave into Oil Company demands, he will win the Presidency. John McCain cannot stand up to them because he understands what it will do to the economy. Of course, it will turn the US economy further into a downward spiral as Oil Companies begin to move corporate offices out of the US to avoid the proposed tax and begin pressuring other countries to do more offshore drilling. Unfortunately, this is not a scare tactic it is history as can be seen in Alberta, Canada where the State (Province) government tried to levy a tax on the Oil Companies, which put the country into a recession.
Until we have moved sufficiently away from Oil and Gas to cut them out of the picture and cause only mild economic damages we are at their mercy. Unfortunately, North American governments don't take enough action to accomplish this. Only youthful foolishness would have the courage to stand up to these behemoths prior to having a ready alternative. The courage is refreshing, the reality will be something altogether frightening. I hope he doesn't get elected.

"This is not something that's going to give consumers short-term relief and it is not a long-term solution to our problems with fossil fuels generally and oil in particular,"

Half right. While this effort would not reduce our dependence on oil, it would certainly provide some short-term relief.

Obama's definitely in line with my thinking. Every time I look at an article about off-shore or domestic drilling, I wonder am I the only one reading this? who gets it that we're going to run out, we're harming ourselves and our planet in the meantime, and SCREW the next generation - they can ride scooters!

Please let's suck it up and go mass transit and nuclear - like the very civilized and efficient (sans strikes) setup in France.

the marxist left err democrats compare it to cancer. they don't want to keep treating the cancer, they want to cure it. what happens in the meantime? what if it takes 20 years for find the cure? what if the cure is never found? if they don't want to drill they should give up their cars now. they mention alternative fuels without explanation - what is their solution? it's a racist solution - it's ok for other countries to drill and ruin their environment but not for us to.

Dont drill,

Go Obama!

Although there is a lot I disagree with Obama about, this isn't one of them. Offshore drilling, and/or opening up the Arctic Refuge, is a short-term solution that will have permanent consequences. If you think the price of gas is too high, it pales in comparison to the price to the environment. The fact is, oil supply is running out and rather than waste critical time and money trying to squeeze out the last few drops, that time and money need to be invested in finding alternatives before we run out of both.

There is no way around a massive move to renewables. We need to make it known that they will make energy costs go down, stay stable and create so many jobs that we won't have a recession.
Also, there is so much renewable energy available that we can even continue wasting is.

800 billion barrels of oil in the shale fields of the Rocky Mountains which equates to an 80 year supply. Seems like a pretty long term solution to me. An this doesn't even count the ANWAR and off shore oil fields. Let build Nukes to bring us in line with the French who produce 70% of their electricity with Nuclear. Yes we need conservation and new energy sources, but we also need to increase oil supplies as we transition off oil.

Off shore drilling is ok if closely scrutinized by Federal and State governments. No drilling in the ANWR!!!! Immediately start development of nuclear power plants, and increase funding of research for alternate energy sources. For short term, reduce speed limit to 55 MPH, federal rebates when high mile per gallon autos are purchased.

President Bush's stance is so completely out of left field and completely unhelpful- really the opposite of a solution and transparently a lame duck cash give-away to the oil companies he and his cabinet are so heavily invested in personally. Congress is right to reject Bush's proposal. At this point Bush has no credibility left whatsoever, environmentally, economically, politically - the man is an incompetent, always has been, always will be. Shame on America for ever having been fooled into thinking otherwise in 2000 and 2004.

The U.S. needs to grow up and start taking responsibility for their actions. Take the "housing (mortgage) crisis" as an example. Americans have done nothing in the last several decades but build larger more expensive homes. It would be interesting to calculate the square footage per person in U.S. vs the rest of the World, particularly over the last decade. Consumption and greed are the problems, not interest rates.

In the case of energy, look at cars sold in the U.S. They have grown fatter, just like the American waistline. Cars have more horsepower, more acceleration, are larger, more plush, and have more power features right now than ever before. Instead of improving fuel efficiency, we squandered the last thirty years on performance.

We do not need to spoil our pristine beaches just so we can continue to drive 300+ horsepower 5000 lb SUVs that accelerat 0-60 in 6 seconds for another 20 years. Does America really have a need for a Dodge pickup with a 500 hp engine?

Grow up, Americans. Take responsibility for your actions, and build cars that get 40+ mpg now, 60 later. Don't wreck my beach in the mean time.

Disgruntled from North Carolina

Obama is absolutely correct. More exploration and drilling will only provide a short term relief, make oil companies rich, and delay the development of alternative energy sources.

Drilling off-shore oil is just going to make those oil greedy company richer and the poor get poorer.
What a big fat lier Bush is! Or maybe his brain to small to see the future consequences on the enviroment.
PLEASE DON'T SUPPORT OIL OFF-SHORE DRILLING !

We're gonna run out of oil pretty soon anyway. We might as well invest in new technology rather than scraping to continue with oil. Think of it this way - paying $900 to fix your 10 year old big screen TV or spending $1200 on a brand new one. The former is cheaper, yes, but how long until it breaks again? And the technology between the two, there's no comparison.

I'll vote for the guy who's willing to stick his neck out for the environment instead of his hand out for the oil companies. Kudos to Dick Durbin. No surprise that Bush wants to open ANWR to drilling. Let's conserve energy and become less dependent on oil in general. Today McCain proposed spending $2 billion a year to build over 40 new nuclear power plants. That without saying where the waste would go. Then he went on about the glories of clean coal. Please tell me he was joking.

I support opening up Alaska and coastal waters for oil exploration while at the same time favoring the further development of renewable energy resources. Our rush into ethanol has proven to be an economic nightmare with many unintended consequences that shows us the folly of rushing into green solutions without careful study. In 1979 I was a general partner in a homebuilding company that built the first fully solar subdivision of homes in California. It was a small tract of 7 homes in Santa Cruz California and 30 years later the homes are cool in summer and warm in winter while using almost no supplemental gas or other energy burning fossil fuels. The concepts all worked but as the energy crisis of the late 70's passed, people lost interest in solar. Once again we rush about looking ffor qiuick and immediate fixes. Following thoughtful parallel paths of developing renewable energy sources as well as drilling for oil and gas makes the most sense, but when does sense prevail where politicians are concerned.

Both. It will take both conservation and increased production to decrease our dependency on oil. Increased production may not generate enough supply to meet the increased demand in the future, but it will change where the supply comes from, add american jobs, and decrease the risk associate with supplies from venezuela, africa, russia and the middle east. The oil companies can only be trusted to produce oil. It is not in their interest to destroy the golden goose, no matter the incentives. The government must provide the incentives and resources to spur other companies to develop clean alternatives and the infrastructure to distribute it. That two path solution in my opinion will give us the best long term results.

Would someone please explain to me how increasing the costs for the suppliers of energy is expected to reduce our costs to purchase energy?

Well there is no shortage of fuel. Just higher prices. People in other
country's have been paying the high price for years. We become spoiled
on cheap fuel. I dont think more drilling will bring the price down since
its becoming more costly to drill. If anything I think Obama plans will
just raise prices more. He just doesnt seem to have enough experience
to deal with these issues

noooooooooooooo off shore drilling ...start inventing new sources of fuel and quit denying the sad truth of where we are in regards to our depndence on oil.... get a reality check !!

We need to drill now!

support the ban on offshore drililing

DRILL BABY DRILL

Elected officials are usually seen as having short-term goals. Oil is the one case, where we are looking at with Obama elected 20 years of them saying drilling is not a long-term solution. Seems to me we had a chance at a long-term solution and they blew it every step of the way. Clinton, Bush, the House and Senate.
Yes, renewable and clean energy sources are the future. But when? We can't dismiss drilling for oil and building refineries just because we expect oil to become obsolete at some time in the future. That hesitation in the past has already cost us relief now. How about preventing the dangers 5 and 10 years from now when Oil reaches prices that the American economy can't sustain?

obama's right. sorry, but this oil situation is an issue we're going to have to deal with. i don't like it any more than the next person but it's a finite resource. seems to me the wind has always blown and the sun rises and sets each day, the tide comes in and goes out. all this natural energy right there in front of us. there are alternatives, we just don't want to adapt. change is always difficult, especially for an old fart like me. i like my oil powered stuff, but have to admit that's it's over as per how we've known it in my lifetime. we're finally getting what we need to force our hand. let's just move on and deal with it in the most positive fashion we can. time for some sacrifices, it seems.

The basics facts of the argument are that oil is a non-renewable resource that we rely on absolutely. I, for one, am tired of this current administrations choice to shovel the problems of tomorrow onto the laps of our children. If we can see the crisis coming, it is our responsibility to behave maturely, and I don't think that drilling offshore is going to help us avert that disaster. It will make those who are wealthy now stay wealthy longer, and it will encourage the bubble that has paved the way for the golden era of the previous century to continue for a short while longer, but it will not solve any problems. It is simply an attempt by the oil industry to further capitalize on a necessary commodity. If gas is too expensive, we need to develop better public transit, invest in alternative/renewable energy sources, and diminish our reliance on oil. Those are the answers that will get us through this.

I am amazed at how short sighted the people whom we look to lead us and our futures seem to be. I am thankfull there are still those out there such as Obama who can envision a greater future and who activly work towards these goals. I look forward to his Presidency!

As an Obama supporter, his position on opening offshore oil production is one that I am going to have to respectfully disagree with him on. This disagreement will not change my decision to vote for him, rather it is my hope that he revisits and thinks this matter over clearly. Seen in the light of compromise this debate creates a golden opportunity for the Senator and his long term energy plan.
Why not propose a bill that opens offshore exploration, to the exact specifications currently asked for by the Republicans if and only if every aspect of Obama’s energy agenda is put into law as a part of the same bill. This compromise would bridge the gap between short term fixes and long term solutions. Moreover, it would leave energy speculators with little choice but to bid lower on oil futures. This a win/win idea I hope the Senator will give serious thought to.

While we are waiting for alternative sources of energy, we should produce more of our own needs - that suggests we drill asap wherever the oil is likely to be found.

Oil is finite. I'll say that again. Oil is limited and we can't make a single cup of it. Electricity is completely replaceable as we use it. We import 60% of our oil now, so we produce about 40% of our needs. The technology is here to start a very real path away from oil imports if several things happen....all of which can happen. Yes, there is more oil here at home, but its not like Kilgore, Texas where it was almost bubbling out of the ground. It will be harder and more expensive to take. I say, once again, let us become dead serious about developing another way to drive down the street. The Chevrolet Volt, due in Nov of 2010 can start to seriously move us away from imported oil. That Must happen, no matter what you and I might want. We have to be the ones to lead the world out of this mess of oil dependence. Every car company can make a Volt-like automobile in the very near future. From there, we get away from the tiny gasoline motors that drive only the generator to charge the batteries. Ladies and Gentleman, this must be made to happen. Our economy is being wrecked by this self inflicted catastrophe.

Good for Obama! Way to have some courage to say what people may not want to hear: sooner or later we need to face our addiction and get off oil.

I wonder if these rising gas prices and the economic state into which they are driving america are not just some ploy by these greedy industries to shift people's focus from the important issues of the war in Iraq and the environment to economic concerns right before the election (and thus facilitate getting another GOP puppet into office). A bit of a conspiracy theory, I know, but isn't the timing a bit fishy? The maximum cost for extraction is around $63/barrel, in the worst of circumstances, and the oil companies have now effectively jacked the price up $130/barrel. Maybe they just are greedy, but I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to suggest that they would drive the economy into a drastic state to shift hot button issues for the election this November. At the least, it deserves consideration.

At any rate, I'm pleased to know that Obama is sticking to his guns. Hopefully, he can maintain a spine throughout this campaigning process.

Drill, Drill, Drill,

I do not believe that the oil companies are not going to drill for oil and or use
shale, or sand to get oil if given the chance by the Congress.

Congress by sneaking into the budget last year cut off any opportunity the oil companies would have had to move forward on oil exploration.

The Dem's are going to give up seat to the Republicans if the the GOP gets on this issue now.

The rest of the world will be getting "it", or not. The Bush administration and his supporters don't get "it". I remember a show on the last of the fish caught in France. The poor fisherman was so driven by his need to support his family he had to catch the last fish. It's up to government, to our leaders to show us that catching that last drop of oil is just not the way. Can Obama be real. I sure hope so.

While we are waiting for alternative sources of energy, we should produce more of our own needs - that suggests we drill asap wherever the oil is likely to be found.

off shore drilling should be allowed as soon as possible.

I believe in banning any drilling of oil wells off shore, and in wilderness areas in general. Our planet, nation, species need to burn less oil anyway, In fact, we should just about stop it. Finding more isn't the correct answer. Tax those windfall profits while we're at it. Then tax oil profiteers down the road a surcharge to fund research and development of alternatives to their products, until they have paid for their own obsolescence.

Obama really doesn't know what he supports. He continues to use one liners lifted straight from sermons of Jeremiah Wright while spewing his ignorance on the factors that will seriously affect this country. I truly fear his being elected

Obama is right on. Our dependance on foreign oil is bad for the economy, bad for the environment and bad for our nations security. Onshore drilling is only a short term fix and has undesirable consequences for the environment.

Every time America has gotten serious about alternative energy sources OPEC has followed suit by incresing production and lowering oil prices to discourage investment in alternative fuels. It's time we called thier bluff.

If it would in reality bring the cost of oil and gas down, then I would support it but from everything I have heard and read on this, it looks like it would help the oil and gas companies get even richer than they already are and offers no relief for the consumers. I think that there should be some kind of law enacted to make the oil and gas companies come down on their prices. You would think that in a state of emergency, like I feel the economy is in now, that something like that could be done. Yeah there might be a shortage but paying high prices isn't going to get us more oil so why should they be able to monopolize it. That would be like some state having a water shortage and other states charge them 10 times for their water. Its outrageous! It's almost like the oil and gas companies think they are GOD and can get away with whatever they want to do. Maybe they can as nobody has been able to do anything about it thus far. I also keep wondering why all this took place under Bush and Cheney as far as the high prices. Isn't Cheny an oil man. Would that have anything to do with the soaring prices?

This is just another case of Bush using American misfortune to push through agenda's that profit his cronies. When the twins towers came down, Bush repeatedly declared with glee that he had "hit the trifecta"...and went on to attack a country that was no threat to us...homeland security (what a joke)...illegal survelliance...no bid contracts for VP Cheney's Halliburton....the list goes on.

Now that Americans are in a financial quagmire, Bush is pushing to destroy a pristine refuge for six months worth of oil...that will cost the consumers (not to mention the earth) untold amounts.

The man is pure evil.....does this suprise anyone???

Of course drilling is necessary to maintain supplies of oil! Oil companies are always looking for new fields to drill and have since the first oil well. Until we are ready to switch to a new major energy source we will have to seek new fields. The problem is that each party has taken a side and will not admit that the basic economic formula has always been SUPPLY AND DEMAND. We must drill and we must be more efficient - but one alone will not do it.

Short-term thinking is exactly what got us into this mess, so I sure as hell don't trust McCain to get us out of it. He keeps looking for quick fixes that sound good, but which won't work.

There's no one thing we can do to drive down energy prices. We're going to have to do millions of little things to do that. Everything from more mass transit to recycling more plastic. Absolutely none of those things will have a big dent, though. But each little thing is a drop in the bucket, and enough drops will fill it up.

To me this is another great reason Obama should be President. He's right when he says "its not a long term solution", and maybe this will send the oil companies a message that they are actually doing damage.

Unless people can afford to be unemployed until alternative fuel is ready then finding more oil any place it can be produced is required for the economy to grow. Few people are ready to lower their standard of living to the level required to live with $135 pb oil. Unemployment will hit 40%. A billion people world wide could starve.

We can drill and conserve. To promote one without the other is really really stupid and naive to the consequences.

I don't see why Bush should call the oil company executives to the Oval office. what is he going to tell them? Bush is the problem of our country, he has been for the last 8 years. I thought Bush and his family are in the oil business, why should he drive the oil price down? he is making as much as the rest of them.

The oil companies indicated at congressional hearings that there is enough gas supply right now in the U.S. to meet demand. The Bush administration has done nothing to put pressure on the oil companies to build more refineries, pressure the commodities exchanges to increase oil futures purchase margins, reduce tariffs on cheaper ethanol imports, or apply pressure on Saudi Arabia. The oil companies all meet at the Bush administrations energy task force to discuss energy policy and then kept those meetings private. Ken Lay at Enron also attended those meetings and we know how Enron created an artificial energy crisis under the Bush administration. The oil company’s executives are trying to make as much money as they can while Bush is still in office; they along with Bush’s people know higher gas prices will now pressure Americans to support allowing them to get what they always wanted which is more drilling off the U.S. coast and Alaska. The oil company executives and lobbyist’s know they will only get drilling rights under while Bush is in office and they know high prices will influence additional support for drilling. If we grant U.S. gas company’s permission to get new drilling rights. Will they refine it and cause prices go down, since they could pump their own oil cheaper than oil on the world market? or will they just sell it to the world market, and then buy it back at inflated global market prices to maximize profits. Remember we have enough oil right now; we are not waiting in line at the pumps because of shortages. We are paying high prices because of market manipulation both by gas companies and oil commodity speculators. The Gas companies know their time of reckoning will expire when Bush and Cheney leave. Unfortunately, the gas companies as well as other corporations like Haliburton who are friends of Bush and Chaney will continue to rape the American taxpayer for as long as they can.

Other countries are drilling our offshore deposits near Cuba. Northern European coutries drill offshore without environmental consequences.

Supply is not keeping up with demand and will not in the foreseeable future. We need to establish our independence and to do that we have to produce more energy domestically. We must exploit our potential resources which means more drilling, more mining of tar sands and whatever other assets we can access.

1. Federally imposed 60 mile an hour speed limit.
2. Open offshore drilling only to american exploration and consumption.
3. Open anwar to drilling
4. Open the green river basin
5. Deregulate sugar prices take off import taxes on sugar..
6. Mandate 5% of cars produced to be all electric by 2013, 10% by 2016 and 15% 2020.
7. mandate that 50% of electricity be nuclear by 2018
8. Get rid of corn ethanol mandates and start coal gasification plants everywhere we have an abundance of coal .

I say lets get creative. These professional Bozo's are too anti-intellectual, too art illiterate, to even know how to begin solving problems.
http://web.mac.com/satyagraha911/Site/Satya_Art.html

They say it is going to be at least five years before we will see any of that new oil and I can't see giving the oil companies OBSCENE profits for any time after that. What could this great country do in even five years if we marshaled all our resources into developing all forms of renewable energy, and especially Hydrogen? We can spend billions of dollars sending our troops to camp halfway around the world for YEARS but we can't spend those billions on energy infrastructure that will let us say once and for all, "This is AMERICA! No more under your thumbs!!!"? I think we can and should! I bet in oil corporate offices around the country the loudest 'Hurrah!!' was heard when Bush and McCain called for more drilling here! Of course that is what they want. Nightmare.

Offshore drilling is THE answer. Obama is smoking too much dope! Hopefully Americans will wake up and demand THE answer soon.

I support both sides. I propose that we combine our efforts and drill offshore and with the same determination and effort we develop and enforce strong fuel conservation methods. We certainly have people intelligent enough in the USA to be able to perform these tasks. Let's seek them out and support them. In order to keep America as great as it is, and I am certain with the help of God we can and will stay great, we must stop being self serving, greedy and hateful. We must return to a climate of cooperation, respect, support and love for all people.

I think it is best to increase the supplies. At the same time it is also best to talk with the oil companies to stop making too much profits and help the fellow Americans. Having said so, it is better for all of us to reduce the use of oil and try and find ways that we use it if and only if we really really need it. Lets try to bring back the days where we used to travel in bicycles & horses...how on earth did our forefathers travel without cars?

IF Barack Obama WAS ONLY MADE 45,OOO DOLLAR PER YEAR . HE WOULD PROBALE BE DRILL OUT THERE . THEY SHOULD PUT A OIL RIG ON THE CAPE COD SO T.K. CAN LOOK AT IT ALL DAY LONG. MAYBE KEEP MOST OF THE US DOLER IN THE U.S.A. NOT IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

What we see from McCain, is political pandering at it's finest, and nothing more. Promises of licking the wounds of the American public where they feel it the most during election season. Any person with half a brain cell should be able to see through the facade. Obamas stance is completely accurate in this situation, and is in my opinion the correct route. But given the reactionary electorate decisions of the majority, I see this as a benefit to McCain with the weak minded and his ultra christian base that he has abandoned all his ideals (including fiscal conservatism) in his efforts to reel in. In the short term for anyone stupid enough to believe this garbage, I pray for you to see through it. The "straight talk express" has been laying the tracks straight into quicksand in an effort to strike a chord with the common working individual but are rapidly losing ground with this kind of nonsense..

Drill now- Not against alternative fuel solutions but we are sitting on enough oil to supplement ourselves

I am absolutely opposed to off-shore drilling. I saw what oil sludge from off-shore rigs did to the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Even after the beach was "cleaned", if you sat on the sand you got black oil spots on your clothes. Before walking into a building by the beach you had to wash your feet in paint thinner. And, as Obama says, these off-shore wells are not short or long-term solutions to our oil problems.

It's the 21st century! Burning fossil fuels is so 20th century. How much more of our wilderness and ecosystems do we need to destroy before we finally get a clue? Buy a solar panel and a golf cart and get over it.

Well, what choice do we have? We know there are oil deposits offshore, and we know that there is a demand/supply problem which is causing prices to go higher than ever seen before. We know that we are dependent on Middle East suppliers who support terrorists, and we are dependent on communist South American dictators. We also know the Chinese are drilling offshore near our coasts.

Can we be so stupid as to continue the policy of no domestic drilling when energy prices are so high, when our enemies can stop our whole economy like they did in 1974? Are we imbeciles?

If we listen to the Democrats the answer is "yes."

Come on folks... I could care less if I pay $10 per gallon of gas, But I demand that that fuel is used by a far more economic vehicle! I mean who are we fooling? Do you all really think we cant Double or triple our fuel economy?! DO you really think that old GM and Exxon dont have all of us figured out?!

I have this to say and only this... There are 3 words in the political identity known as conservitive, and Here they are

Conserve: Doing a terrible job at this in all facits of our lives

Serve: Man... they have at best served up a buffet of lies, distortion and manipulqation

And Finally CON: I really dont need to tell you all about this, but they have run a CON-JOB on all of us!

Fact: 9 out of 10 CEOs of major corporations are conservitive republican blood sucking businessmen! Nothing wrong with business but lets tell the truth about your intentions!

There is NO economic considerations when it comes to the environment. Exxon claimed it was an environmentally friendly company with modern technology years before their Valdese disaster. Global warming demands that we break away from oil dependence IMMEDIATELY, not when it's economically feasible - which will be never! If gas goes to $80 a gallon, so be it. It should be considering the damage it does to our Earth! If you want to issue blame against somebody for the current gas predicament, blame the United States auto manufacturers. They have had the technology for decades to increase fuel efficiency and use alternative fuels, but they have chosen not to. Greed and the unhealthy influence the oil industry has in Washington is also to blame! If people are so worried about the price at the pump, then sell the SUV's and Hummers and buy something sensible!

Give me some numbers! How much oil do we need? What is the current production? When companies test drill why do they only drill a specified depth and stop when they know oil is there but not at the depth they drilled? Companies get their drilling money and laws prevent them from actually getting the oil.
How many more refining companies do we need? Why don't we have them?
What technology is needed to make them EPA compliant? 44% of our oil is for commercial purposes--trains, semis and airplanes.
Too many questions to actually give and educated answer to the energy crisis, except to say, politics is not actually what is reported. Behind closed doors negotiations must proceed. Time to ask some very serious questions and take a stand..

There is no stealth conspiracy to raise oil prices, unless the finite nature of fossil fuels is a conspiracy itself! Use common sense. Do thousands of people mired in the plot not buy gas themselves? The evidence show that physical demand is outpacing global supply and the market is echoing that reality.

The U.S. is using about a billion barrels of oil every 50 days and the world uses the same in about 11 days. Divide reserves in "large" new fields by those figures to get the time scale. It's a pittance. ANWR has 10 billion barrels, best case scenario. Do the math.

Someone from either Party needs to step up and admit that the world has probably hit peak oil production. It's a matter of when, not if. U.S. oil production peaked back in 1970, which meant no more cheap stuff, no matter where we drill, dig-up bitumen or cook shale.

The media has done a poor job of explaining why we started importing so much oil back then, and why the whole world might be in the same bind right now. A global peak means no more borrowing from Peter to pay Paul's fuel debts.

In general, why are people so afraid to face physical scarcity and adopt frugal habits? Some old-time conservatives would have, but neocons are just gluttons. There must come an end to mindless growth of the population and economy. A steady-state system would solve a host of problems that keep getting blamed on superficial economics. No finite planet can sustain endless needs.

http://enough_already.tripod.com/

More oil demands?! Drill more oils for lower gas prices?! This never solves our long-term energy crisis for future economical and environmental survivals. Eventually, we will exterminate ourselves by exhausting our non-renewable resources with over time of petroleum-dependent technologies and infrastructures in the near future. These will crumble as the energy requirements outstrip available resources. The collapse of industrial society will be results of high population demands from increasing scarcity of petroleum and all its products and byproducts. Higher technological complexity is no longer available to our Homo-sapiens as an adaptive strategy. Recently, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain wants to remove the ban of offshore oil drills. His policy fails to emphasis on the adaptive strategy for the long-term survival of our civilization without oil dependences. Drill more oils and the continuation of using petroleum-dependent technologies and infrastructures will make more vulnerability of oil dependence for our oil-addicted American civilization.

We need to urge for a huge emergency venture of the energy alternative innovation to replace petroleum energy dependence – Green Project. In the 20th century our magnificently country successfully developed huge innovations with technical achievements and boosted our economy and national prestige as such as Manhattan Project in late 1930s and early 1940s for the atomic bomb race against Nazi Germany and Apollo Project in 1960s for the moon race against “Communist” Soviet Union. Green Project would be very essential for our economical survival of American and Western civilization in order to restore our economy without oil dependence. Since petroleum is a volatile and finite resource that imperils our economical survival, we must change the course and guideline immediately for new technological innovations of energy alternative energy sources to eliminate dependence and monopoly of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, powerful oil lobby-influenced politicians prevent new innovative opportunity for the development of alternative energy innovations without petroleum dependences and monopoly. Bush and the Congress never wants to abandon our consumers dependence of gas stations and utilities because we paid them from gas pumps and electric lines in order to keep flowing of profit revenues to support oil and utilities companies and government needs. Oil, automakers and utilities companies often bought out of various energy alternative innovators with their patents rights in order to mainstay on profits and prolong companies’ survivals to preserve the monopoly. As you know that President Bush and his cabinet members are oil people and of course, they secretly care about oil prices going up! Their main motive is their greed.

I say no to drilling; conservation and alternative fuels are a better long term solution. Drilling in areas now closed to such will not affect current prices anyway. (current prices are more related to market manipulation than demand factors). Fossil fuel cannot last forever anyway, so the sooner we break our dependence on it, the better off we'll be. If the price of gas continues to increase at the pump, either there will be a world wide backlash or the economies will be wrecked because the drastic increases cannot be absorbed by the public and industry.

The same kind of speculators that were driving the stock market at the end of the last decade, the real estate market two years ago have moved on to the oil and commodities markets.

Bush is political posturing and knows darn well the idea will not fly anyway, but wants to be able to say I tried by the Democrats said no to drilling.

I support Obama's proposed tax on oil companies windfall profits and massive investment in renewable sources of energy.

The "Click here for more" :

Bush urges Congress to lift offshore drilling ban
By H. Josef Hebert , Associated Press Writer / June 18, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/06/18/bush_to_urge_congress_to_allow_offshore_drilling/

.. was quite informative:

1. The US 4% of the world's reserves but uses 25% of the world's oil output.
2. The additional oil reserves would take years to develope -- which means that it would have little effect at all upon gasoline prices any time soon -- assuming it were actually developed.
3. However, the oil companies already have 68 million acres leased which they are not developing, and as such there is very little reason to think that they would be any more inclined to develope this largess than those which they have been given previously.

Meanwhile, of course, oil production in the major regions is essentially flat and has been so for years, the Asian appetite (particularly China) is growing -- as is that of India. And over the short-term, price has very little effect upon demand -- or as economists might prefer to say, "The demand for oil is inelastic." So prices have to climb quite high to significantly reduce the number of barrels of oil that people are willing to buy.

There is some good news on the horizon, though.

Russia and other countries are convinced there is a great deal of oil under the arctic ocean -- and that it will soon be quite accessible given how rapidly we have been losing perennial sea ice in that region. Likewise, Exxon and several other major companies have recently struck a deal with Greenland for its deposits -- which are likely to become far more accessible in the years ahead. It was projected that the deal may have been worth $5 trillion at "current prices" a couple of months ago -- if I remember correctly.

This is obviously a political gimick, grandstanding on the part of both Bush and (contrary to the position he has taken in the past) McCain.

"This is not something that's going to give consumers short-term relief and it is not a long-term solution to our problems with fossil fuels generally and oil in particular," Obama said.

I'm sick and tired of Obama! He thinks we are all idiots. No one with the IQ of an ice cube believes that anything will provide short term relief at this point. If we had continued exploration, drilling, and production in the U.S.A... offshore,.. Alaska, etc., then we wouldn't be facing the urgency we now face. And, don't say to me... "oh... but, it will take 5 - 10 years to produce, etc, etc, etc,..." I heard that same crap 5 - 10 -15 years ago... do the math!

Obama's view on oil is shortsighted. The idea that speculation is involved in skyrocketing fuel costs is valid, but lets not forget that speculation takes into account things such as congresses opposition to drilling anywhere in the US as well as their general disposition against any increase in energy production that would help us in the near term. Congress has proven inept in the current energy crisis, downright opposed to any meaningful solution. They put politics ahead of the well-being of the American people, seeking to ensure rising energy costs while shifting the blame to the President and other political opponents.

I, for one, am sick of the double-speak coming out of the mouths of our so-called representatives in washington.

they should be drilling the longer you wait the higher price it s cost and should be building more refinderies simple if you don't drill and build refinderies be prepared ,topay a hell of a lot more at the pump.

The first time I saw the idea of drilling offshore, I felt enraged by the idea. I am totally against drilling offshore. Drilling offshore is just another dumb decision by dumb politicians. They need to get their mind out of the money, and into a long term solution. Those types of people are lazy, and if they consistently create temporary solutions, we are going to stay on that 'conveyor belt' of poverty. They need to look outside of the box so we as humans can move forward. Get the stupid people out of office, lets get some people in there that can actually make a change.

- Zack

Oil companies wrecking the economy? Barack Obama voted for turning mountains of our own precious food into water contaminated, low energy ethanol fuel that is a financial rip-off and a substantial cause of food price inflation. Barack Obama does not have a clue about economics, science, or mathematics, and he is irrationally is trying to vilify the very people who can give us lower priced gasoline if we only let them.

Oil price increases have not shrunk the human food supply, but biofuel production has. The more biofuels we produce, the less food we have to eat, because we grow biofuel crops, even switchgrass, using the same land, water, fertilizer, farm equipment, and labor we use to grow food. Biofuel production accelerates global warming, creates water shortages, and erodes topsoil. A new study says biofuels from cellulose sources, such as switchgrass, wood chips, crop waste, etc., will never be cost effective.

See biofuel facts at - http://home.att.net/~meditation/bio-fuel-hoax.html

Well I believe people need to give President Bush a break. They have bashed him because of high oil prices, and now they're bashing him for trying to fix the high oil prices when it wasn't even his fault that the problem had arose.

No offshore drilling.

Yea, it's a real tricky Senator Obama, you drill, you get oil versus buying it from terrorists and filthy rich Mideast country's. Then real tricky, the states that benefit from drilling get tax money, jobs and oh no, our supply of gas goes up and cost go down, that is if we can process it with our refinerys which are close to capacity also. It's time for a real energy strategy and time to get Congress out of the freakin way. everytime they try to solve something, they make is worse.

Speculation , reckless manipulation with impunity in oil commodity trading are the problems , not supply and demand .

I think it is a little late for Hans Brinker dike tactics. The source of the problem needs to be addressed and neither Bush nor McCain, his would-be successor, are doing that.

Honestly, I support both offshore drilling and strong fuel conservation. No reason we can't do both, and we can sell the excess to other countries in the meantime to offset the costs associated with building and containing renewable resources IE yes, taxes this would benefit oil companies (new drill spots) and also tax the additional output, assuming demand continues.

Senator Obama is right though, this "suggestion" is nothing that will fix our problems, its simply a shot at a short term solution which, I think is misguided at best.

We didn't get into this fix by not drilling for oil here, we got into this mess because our consumption has grown, and so has other countries. We need to reduce our dependency on non renewable resources period, not just oil, and it needs to be a worthwhile and cost effective process.

Drilling was a "long-term solution" for the decades the Democrats and left-wing wackos kept it from happening...and now they are still singing the same old, drunk-sounding song....

Obama is like most left-wing numb-skulls...he criticizes this idea and that idea - but has no real answers except "change you can believe in"...with ZERO DETAILS

NO THANKS - I PASS, OBAMA

When faced with difficult choices, a good leader looks to the future, outlines a vision and does what's necessary today to achieve that vision. Obviously, few are listening to the rally cries of those who hope to preserve the liveable qualities of our environment. There's good reason why countless leaders have opposed offshore drilling. The fact that Bush and McCain are supporting it now, along with legions of easy-option thinkers, is appalling.

Wait, am I missing something? Drilling is not a "is not a long-term solution?" It can take a decade for these wells to come online. And short term, knowing there is more oil on the way can have a cooling effect on prices. Offshore oil drilling technology has advanced significantly since 1981 when the ban was established. Renewable energy is the long term goal, and certainly high oil prices are hastening the demand for that goal. But oil demand has nowhere to go but up. With oil reserves worldwide slacking in new production, it's time to put more pipes in the ground.

This is a gimmick. I am not sure what how and where they came up with the idea that the technology is proven. Proven to do what? Fail? Over the years, the oil spillovers have caused huge eco damage, some irreversible. And it will take about 30 years to start reaping the benefits if we started to dig for it right now. Why don't we just use that dollars to identify alternative renewable energy sources? That way we will be truly become energy independent.

Mr. Obama is already showing how willing he is to let the American people suffer. True, this is no long-term solution, But I'd say quite frankly to Mr. Obama; We have a very current problem with a very current need. Unilaterally opposing both drilling, the building of refineries, AND opposing the building of nuclear power plants ( this is not 1976 and technology has relegated the potential for a three-mile Island or Chernobyl to history) you are condemning the people of this country to severe financial hardship while you punish the shareholders, and eventually the consumer even further by pointing your finger at the oil companies. Punish them and what do we get? Even less oil for our pumps and higher prices as a result. And you want me to vote for you?

This is a political gimmick by Senator McCain and President Bush. The Department of Energy did a study in 2007 which stated that access to coastal energy deposits would not add to domestic crude oil and gas production before 2030. In addition the impact on prices would be insignificant. We need to conserve and develop alternative sources of energy.

To the poster who says nuclear disasters are no longer a possibility due to "technology" - why don't you go ask the RIGHT-leaning state of Nevada how they feel about storing nuclear reactor waste in a seismically active mountain in the middle of their state, or how they feel about semi-trucks hauling canisters of radioactive material through highly populated urban areas? The facts on the ground are that all of these solutions - offshore drilling, nuclear, clean coal - are strongly opposed by the people who will actually have to DEAL WITH THEM. The people of this country need to learn that we can't continue our massive consumption habits by passing the externalities onto some more unfortunate community. High gas prices are a good thing if they make us wake up!

To the individual who made the claim "800 billion barrels of oil in the shale fields of the Rocky Mountains which equates to an 80 year supply..."

You are ignoring the fact that they haven't figured out how to break even with shale (energy inputs vs. outputs). Shale is part of the peak oil down-slope of ever-increasing costs, and it's the worst example of that. Tar sands (bitumen) are significantly easier to work with, but still have huge costs in water, land and natural gas inputs. Of course it's a given that "conservatives" consider all that collateral damage.

I think it's evil that people would tear up millions of pristine acres just to keep their blasted Hemis and other gluttonous habits they consider a birthright. How about some true "conservative" values like frugality and humbleness in the face of larger forces? Nature doesn't owe you a living just because you have no conscience about destroying it. "The Environment" you dismiss so casually is what allows "The Economy" to exist in the first place. How about a little respect?

http://enough_already.tripod.com/

Pamela English is only half right. She advocates nuclear power and Obama; but Obama is against nuclear power.

He has said that he has no problem with $4.00 gas; only that the price increase came too rapidly.

Apparently his basketball cronies who, according to him, fly in frequently for court time with the Senator, are sufficiently well-healed that they, like him can well afford high fuel and airline prices.

Another thing I defy any sane person to explain: most Republicans and Democrats suggest that we, the populace of the US, can help alleviate the current energy crisis by turning down our thermostats in the winter, turning off lights, driving less, and so on. I agree. Every little bit helps.

But these same Democrats are adamant in their belief that adding countless billions of barrels of oil from ANWR, off-shore drilling and shale oil will have essentially no effect on US fuel prices.

Apparently, in their mind, every little bit does indeed help, but every massive contribution is of no consequence whatever.

It's as if, squandering your life's savings is okay if and only if you save all the pennies you receive in change.

How about pulling all stops and doing everything we reasonably can to conserve energy and also to develop known energy sources and reserves?

Jesus people! you are all ridiculous. Blinded by understudied, mislead information telling you that our grandchildren will die if we don't change now. I'm all for massive investment in alternative energy studies but come on. Drill the oil, not to drop oil to a buck a galon, but atleast we can manages tax's to fund alternative energy studies, create AMERICAN JOBS and become a more self sufficient country. It sounds like most of you can afford to pump gas in when you need it 2 bucks or 10 bucks a gallon. Well, most aren't so lucky. Drained by liberal disconcern for middle class and lower class FAMILIES. Letting our forests grow to levels more dangerous than ever before. I mean come on, MANAGE THE FOREST which keeps the public SAFER and AGAIN , OPENS UP AMERICAN JOBS. You want to publish pictures of clear cuts and homeless animals searching for a place to live, well PUBLISH THE DEAD, BURNED, HALF BURNED HOMELESS ANIMALS SUFFERING IN PAIN NOT LOOKING FOR A HOME BECAUSE IT IS SLOWLY DYING ANYWAY.

Offshore drilling can’t drive down the price of oil and doesn’t relieve the worry of American. The oil price is based on the world demand and supply, not ours. If we increase the oil output (the oil reserve is limited) while other oil thirsty countries daily continue to increase their inefficient consumption, the shortage of oil is unavoidable. So the best way to help our country is the way not depend on oil. This is the smart solution which many visional people have said, not increment of the oil production. Therefore, we must invest our talent and resources in renewable energy. With the investment in solar energy and biofuel, the most important benefit we can get is the oil price pulled down not only in the future but also in the short term. Because the investors stop their concern about the oil supply in future and the speculation automatically end soon. We and our allies won’t heavily depend on oil and the power of oil rich countries will be reduced. Besides, the heavily investment in the new technology will create a lot of new jobs for American people, especially for our workers. Workers in other developing countries can’t compete with our workers in the new technology. In addition, with the new technology our country will have an edge on others in the globalization. Our country will have the best position in the very competitive environment. Drilling is not the way we should go. Neither does Nuclear. Nuclear technology actually is perfectly safe. A careless human error can be the worth of millions of American lives. Moreover, other countries will take the advantage of nuclear technology in peace purpose for hiding the production of weapon. It will be menace for our country and allies. Renewable technology is the best choice for us and our next generations.

It seems Bush/Cheney et al have always put their own particular industry's needs for huge profits over concerns for the American middle class. In fact it seems they've declared war upon working people, those of us in the lower middle class, too hardworking to be poor, but just barely above the rising tide of fixed costs, outrageous health insurance costs, and just making enough money to not get subsidized. The average person making 30 to 40K and family in the 60K is the middle class, but we are being squeezed by the lies and dishonesty of an investor class that hedged their profits at promoting more misery and taking more 'rent' out of people who have no choice but to drive their trucks and cars to work...or sink down into the ranks of the subsidized (barely) poor.

Opening up restricted areas for oil drilling is a BAD idea and not a solution. Not only does it sound like it would not affect the supply for years, if drilling is allowed in these areas I am afraid it will eventually open the door to drilling in other restricted areas like national parks and wildlife reserves (where in some it already is). Other renewable sources and conservation are the key and this is where resources and finances should be targeted. Also some simple minor lifestyle changes for many people would certainly help on the conservation front.

Most of these comments are way off the mark.

Oil prices are high. Why?

Supply and Demand? No. The world supply did not get cut in half, nor did the world demand increase 100% in the past 3 years. Sorry, it didn't happen.

Oil is traded in USD. USD is devalued, due to the Federal Reserve repeatedly cutting the Prime Rate. This is the prime rate of return on investments in the US. Would you invest @ 2%? Not likely. Nor is the world. So, the value has decreased.

Ethanol uses, guess what, crude oil to produce. A lot of it, too. So rather than just using that crude oil to create Fuel to sell to the consumer, it's being used to create another fuel that is less powerful.

Crude oil is traded via the Commodity market. Speculators are pushing up the price because well, they can. They are making a killing off of the market due to the false fears that are being instilled in the American consumer. The supply is there folks.

If the USA decides that they are going to drill, it will have an immediate impact on the price of oil. Not because of it will immediately go into the pool of oil available, but because the effect it will have on the mindset of the Commodity trader. If it's public knowledge that XX billions of crude will be available, the supply & demand threat will not be there.

Also, taxing "Big Oil"? Dumb. It didn't work the last time. Why?

There's a big difference between profit, and profit margin. The profit margins are hanging around the same as before. Profit is higher, of course, the product is more expensive. Also, taxing them moreso will cause two things.

1. Price increases, as they will need to make up for the loss. It will cost more at the pump.

2. Hurting the middle class person more than it is supposedly hurting to begin with. Why? Many of our personal investments are in those very companies that will be taxed. What happens? You make less money. Supporting such a ridiculous tax will only cost US money. Seems a bit counterproductive to me, and it's not a "change" I can believe in.

However, we do need a multifaceted approach to energy. Wind, Geothermal, Crude, Nuclear, Clean Coal, etc. If we place all our eggs in one basket, if something real or implied happens to said basket, the effects are catastrophic...

As we are living through currently.

America will never be fully energy dependent. It will not happen. However, the more options we can throw on the table, the better off we can be as a whole.

From one concerned citizen of U.S.A,

Dear American Voters, reporters, media. professionals, political parties, and presidential Nominees,

Hon. Senator McCain and Obama, besides each having many attributes and characteristics.
The critical differences between the two of these presidential presumptive nominees in my opinion are as under:

1. Presidential "Temperament and Caliber".
2. Little Washington "insider Versus outsider" experience.
3. "Vision and mission" for our nation future rather than past.
4. American policies, " first U.S.A Centric" than any other country [ ies ] centric.

In my professional opinion Senator Obama leads in all above qualities and attributes.

Senator Obama and his administration along with congress will address all the critical current and future domestic and foreign issues, challenges, and opportunities in coming years.

Let us remember and recite following concepts:

" Family, Friends, Fellows, Faith, Funds, Foundation [s], Fun, with Freedom & Fairness and without Fear, Favor, & Failure" . It applies to every citizen of our Greatgrand Nation.


Please stay involved, stay engaged, and stay informed. Please do not allow any seduction, deception, and or confusion by some partisan media and leaders effect your vote [ Psychological Terrorism ]..

Yours truly,

COL. [retd] A.M.Khajawall
Disabled American Veteran
Forensic psychiatrist, Las Vegas

PS: Please talk about the " Presidential Temperament And Caliber " of our presumptive presidential Nominees. We do talk about the "Judicial Temperament" of our Supreme Court Justices nominees and so far we have failed to talk about the " Presidential Temperament " of our presumptive presidential nominees. The " Presidential Temperament " is the ultimate and in my opinion only requirement of our president as that effects every living soul here and around the world.

Thanks again.

conservation and drilling are immediate needs to stop our eroding dollar. We could sit back and watch the dollar turn into a peso or act now. Maybe Obama should go to Cuba to tell our neighbors not to drill also. I'm sure they would listen..Americans given the choice between higher oil prices and a weak economy will choose oil.
Just the threat of our pumping our own oil will stop oil prices from escalating and give us the 2 year window to establish an energy program . No American wants to destroy their country and conservation is necessary long range.
Maybe we should follow the money trail and see where the funding comes from both the ecology side and the oil futures speculations.

Energy is vital in order to create and sustain economic and social development. Our whole economy reflects the relative costs of energy: the cars we drive, the houses we occupy, the kinds of factories we have and the equipment in them.

...If we lost all oil and gas products tomorrow, ...the world would simply collapse. There would be an immense depression beyond anything we saw in the 1930s -- the economy would go back to a primitive state. There would simply not be a functioning society. It would be as if there had been nuclear war, minus the casualties from blast and radiation... In a word, we cannot as a modern society or even a modestly industrial society live without oil and gas. That is, [it is not] a luxury or a narcotic. [It is] a basic necessity of life, as basic as almost any commodity there is. Ben Stein. The only possible solution for America is to locate resources which can be developed quickly, without the onerous drag of local (Not in My Backyard) opposition and the many, often slow bureaucracies involved in energy developments inside the US territories.

Yes! Nationalize the oil companies! We know how well the government ran the Senate dining room and they can do the same for oil!

Since no new refineries have been built in 30 years and our nation's population has grown about 80 million since 1970, wouldn't it stand to reason that the resources we have are stretched to the minimum. If no one is willing to explore or drill for more resources, then we must import more to satisfy our needs. This puts us at the mercy of the exporters. I would like to see us be more energy independent, especially in the area of oil production. Let those exporters find other customers rather than the U.S. As long as we can afford to pay the prices we are today, those exporters will up the ante as much as they can. If we drill more of own supply, I don't care how much it is or how long it takes, then this is just less dependence we have from OPEC. Drilling offshore would be a start. Drill in ANWR as well. ANWR is as big as South Carolina and the area needed for drilling is as large as a major city's airport. Some people think we will dot the whole area with drilling rigs and the pristeen wilderness will be ruined. I was in Alaska when the pipeline was being built and I saw nothing ugly or endangering to the local environment. Show OPEC we are going to take on their "monopoly status". When the world's largest user of oil no longer needs OPEC oil or anyone elses, we as Americans will breathe easier. I do want to see alternative
resources developed, but not everyone can afford solar panels or wind mills. You are still going to need oil for all of the cars on the road today. You just can't
say ,"We are no longer going to sell gasoline, go by an electric car." That will happen, but far into the future when the cars produced today are no longer road
worthy. We should have done many things years ago, but let us not dwell on our shortsightedness. Do what we can to fix the problems today, the future will take care of itself.

FOLLOW THE MONEY!! OMG!! I can't believe how retarded this all is. Oil isn't expensive because there's not enough of it (right now anyway). It's expensive because of the Enron mentality of the Bush Administration Era. It's expensive because of market speculation - banks are buying up energy in all of it's storable forms and hoarding it to drive the prices up. IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ENRON LOOPHOLE AND THE BUSH MACHINE'S SUPPORT IN KEEPING THE ENERGY MARKET DEREGULATED!!

Look at the housing market crisis. No oversight and no regulation let that bubble get so fat that when it burst it hurt millions of Americans and destroyed lives!!

Even if we did start drilling now it would take up to 10 years to get the oil to shore. By then we could have major conservation efforts in effect, alternative technology in place and new jobs in the new technological fields and be on the road to dramatically decreasing CO2 emissions. OF COURSE IT WON'T MATTER IF WE DON'T FIX THE ENERGY DEREGULATIONS BECAUSE THE SAME CROOKS WILL DRIVE THOSE ENERGY PRICES UP AS WELL.

BTW, don't even get me started with ANWAR. Does anyone know how much money, resources and time it would take just to get an infrastructure established just to get to the oil? CRAZY!! How long does it take to get 1 road built in your town, huh?

Nationalize Oil companies (yes even if it means some inefficiencies).
Increase fuel economy for cars, NOW.
Tax on energy use - why do we need 3000 or 5000 sqft houses? Why do we need big SUVs?
Spend on alternate energy. Mandate its use by giving more tax credits.
Build nuclear power.
Use technology to optimize energy consumption - make it mandatory using codes.
Give tax credits to companies encouraging telecommuting
Tax the power hogging computers - there is lot of wastage in data centers.
Tax night games that consume electricity - sports is luxury folks.

Do you like paying $4+ per gallon for regular gasoline?? I do not understand why people are so up for Obama... He wants to tax us middle class workers more and more on fuel, look how the economy is right now, going down hill very quickly and why is that? Umm lets think about this one- maybe gas prices. Nobody is traveling and buying things anymore because they are saving their money to fill up their tanks. For God sakes drill here in the U.S. Reduce dependence on foreigners and reduce the price at the pump. Those environmentalists kill me. Global warming?? What a joke. Lets face it, the country runs on oil and would not survive without (at least for now) so why are these tree huggers so against drilling? Do they want the economy to completely die?? We need to drill here UNTIL we develope an AFFORDABLE alternate energy source. I understand that there is over 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil under the Rockies in form of oil shale... Heat it up and DRILL FOR IT!!! Those conservatives got to be kidding. Reduce our dependence on arab leaders over seas. Maybe it will take some years to get the oil flowing but when it does, there is hundreds of years worth of oil under the U.S. Come on now

Offshore oil and gas - outer continental shelf
- China and Cuba drill 60 miles from Key West, Fla.
US law, prohibits US companies from drilling there.
- restricted areas contain 86 billion barrels of oil and
420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
- The Flower Garden coral reefs which lie off the
Louisiana-Texas border are surrounded by oil platforms
that have been pumping for 50 years.
"The Flower Gardens are much healthier, more
pristine than anything in the Florida Keys.
- 50 times more marine life around oil platforms that
act as artificial reefs than in the surrounding mud bottoms

See
The Drill-Nothing Congress
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Monday, June 09, 2008 4:20 PM PT

http://www.ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=297904745555169

So, I say YES drill,
Save our economy, and do it responsibly to keep the environment.
We are AMERICA, We can have it all.

Are you people insane? We have an economy based on oil. We cant change that. Our economy will collapse if we do not raise our supply of oil. Its simple economics. Do some research on those 68 million acres before you assume there is oil there. We drill for oil extremely safe now and if we dont other contries will drill off our shores. Wake-up. Why are there people in this country that hate it so much that they want to see us fail at everything. How long do you think it will take to get those new fuels and who the hell is going to fund them. Those types of fuel arent marketable companies have tried and failed already. You people are so ignorant its amazing. Just leave the country and move to China or North Korea and hate America from there. Leave this counrty to those of us that love it.

Do the math, none of the current solutions available, except for putting a damper on the speculation will have any immediate effect.
We do need to DRILL HERE-DRILL NOW, if for nothing more than to make enough money, and keep it here in the US, to be able to AFFORD to move to the alternatives.
Sending Trillions of dollars to people that don't like us so they can buy diamond encrusted Mercedes is silly. Dubai has so much money the population of workers imported to do construction is three times the population. We could use that type of money here. Yes the oil companies have record profits, rather than tax them, force them into using these profits not only to increase production and refining, but more on alternatives. The current price for solar panels is about $1000.00 for a two

hundred watt panel. Lets work on getting that down to a dollar a watt.

Well spending massive amounts on new alternative energy sources is just a wonderful idea. Hope you enjoy paying for it along with the high prices for gas and all the other products that that sweet crude is used for. We and the rest of the civilized world will ALWAYS be reliant on oil, and it is not a "finite" resource as some have suggested. It does regenerate ! Drill, Drill, and Drill..become self sufficient. I really wish the American people would stand up to all these idiotic politicians who use all of us to further their political careers by the FEAR Factor....Al Gore has created the greatest scam ever...

New law liberals cannot buy gas or ride transpertation that uses fossil fuel!Then the numbers will work .They can only use there alterntive bandaids.I would also like to shut off the natural gas pipelines running from Louisiana so i can watch yall freeze up there.

Why are liberals like comunist yall have to censor ideas you cant beat!

We should be deeply opposed to off-shore (deep-water) drilling or protected refuge drilling. Deep-water drilling is costly and the oil companies will be the only ones profiting from such drilling. The consumer will continue to see high gas prices as these costs will be passed down to the consumer. Oil companies should take their huge profits to seek out alternative fuel sources. Drilling off-shore and in protected refuges will only serve to destroy what man has tried to protect for decades. No one will profit from such drilling but the oil companies. This will not solve the problem at hand or for the future. We the American people are wasteful and needy. We want so we take without thought to how it will affect the future of the world. The oil companies should put the billions of dollars being used to research better technology for off-shore drilling into researching alternative fuel sources, and the governments should be looking at better sources of travel than gas-guzzling modes of transportation. THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL AMERICA. Let's not disappoint future generations to come.

I say Drill, Drill, & Drill. We should have done it years ago. I agree with research for the magic bullet. Also I agree that America uses to much Oil. The Hummer was the most disgusting Car built.
However we can not put all of our cars in the dump in the next 5 to 10 years for new ones. We need to be independent of foreign Oil.
Iran is gunning for Israel. I am sure that may happen in the next 5-15 years. We will have no foreign oil coming in then. Obama says he will be bringing the troop home and what kind of work will these troops find when they come home? Why do you think they joined? Maybe they could build or run a couple of refinery's.
Something does not add up? Saudi has agreed to increase production to the 1981 level? If we are using more fuel why did they decrease levels to pre 1981?
Maybe the troops can go to work in the coal mines like my father who has been dead for 40 years.

The simple reality is that wind and solar power will never provide any large amount of our energy needs. Both wind and solar require huge amounts of land for the solar panels or wind turbines; the liberals and they enviromentalist will never allow that land to be used.

I can prove my point, can you say "Cape Wind"?

And just a comment for the science mind out there. Thermodynamics! Doesn't the suns energy and the winds energy power the earths weather and climate? If you suddenly were to tap into solar and wind power, that energy will no longer being going where it is now, were it was meant to go in nature.

Tell me that also will not effect global climate! You can not take energy out of nature and not have it change something!

This is a link to a different newspaper. But here is Mr Clean energy, Obama. I think this is the same Obama who wants special interest money out of washington.

Flying on privately owned corporate jets! Owned by someone in the energy business no less! Amazing!

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/23/america/23ethanol.php

No drilling !! How much of the Alaska pipeland actually makes it to the U.S ? Who's going to make sure oil drilled here is used here and not sold to the highest bidder? I say no !

Americans are going to suck the wells dry before supporting alternates?
we need to not be dependent on oil for all.

WE NEeD TO FUOCUS ON LONG TERM SOLUTIONS despite the short term agony
THE WAR helped make it all and urgent ..snowball.
now lets NOT PROLONG THE AGONY.

thehcost for oil isnt coming down adn i read sites already approved arent being drilled to keep the stock profits up.

DO THINGs for PERMENAnT repairs of environ and cost.
get it out of the hands of the few!

Why in the hell are we more worried about our rainforrest instead of ourselves? Do yall realize that the companies we are buying oil from are drilling in fain forrests because that is were the oil is? its crazyness!

For those who say we need to solely target alternative fuels right now as the only solution, the reason we don't know is it's more expensive than oil, even at $145/barrell. Today, we are an oil-based economy. Without oil, or with expensive oil, we are headed for not just an economic downturn, but a depression. CO2 emissions will be your last concern then. Instead, you'll be more concerned about which soup kitchen to take your family to each evening. I work in an industry, which I won't mention, that could possibly cease to exist. Our product is 100% petroleum based. If things don't change soon, we'll shut our doors. We're in the top 3 in our industry. I can't wait for 2025 (Obama's plan) for alternative fuels/energies) to take root. There are many industries whose product's are highly petroleum based. They're doomed also.
The solution- face the fact that we're an oil-based economy. Work slowly to wean ourselves off of oil and on to the alternatives. Meanwhile, drill ANWR, drill offshore, build more nuclear power plants, build more refineries, etc. The Congress needs to lift the restrictions that inhibit these actions and even provide tax credits to incent it. It's almost getting to be too late. The Democrats have to quit trying to appease the far left of their party and start worrying about all Americans.

Relief at the pump?
Get Bush to open the strategic supply. Millions of barrels of oil that could go directly to the refinery, and not have to be explored or drilled. Besides, our tax dollars paid for the supplies that went in there in the first place.
I would also like to add that allowing offshore drilling in new areas off of CA or FL, would only make the oil companies richer in about 10 years. Think about it...how long does it take to build a drilling rig? 4 years? 6 years?

I seriously doubt that this comment will be listed. Off shore drilling is a must, as is conservation. The dumbest statements are that the oil will only last three years. What a crok of crud. Name me an oil field that has only lasted three years? The same thing was said about the northshore oil fields in alaska. When did it run out? We have to do all of the solutions at the same time, drill, add wind power, add solar power and work on hydorgen, How are your going to run an 80,000 pound tractor-trailer on a couple of batteries? Where are you going to get the power to recharge that tractor-trailer battery? You have to think about this stuff, not just run your mouth about the popular myths.

Call Nancy Pelosi and tell her to allow the vote on drilling for oil in the U.S. Polls show that close to 80% of the people want to allow drilling in the U.S. Nancy Pelosi is taking it upon herself to prevent it. Call her and tell her to do allow the vote that the people want. Dont allow her to single handedly control the agenda in the house! (202) 225-0100.

America's infrastructure is based on oil. All the trucks, planes, trains, ships, that deliver all goods to market run on oil. All automobiles, as well as all the gas stations across America run on oil. All petroleum based products, run on oil. Although alternative fuels most definitely should be developed, in the mean time America must have oil to keep our economy from screeching to a halt. In addition, our national security requires energy independence ASAP, so that we are not transferring all our wealth to foreign countries who do not like us, and who can cripple us by turning off the spigot, disrupting oil transport to us, or arbitrary oil price hikes. These are all reasons why we must be drilling for more oil right now and right here in the U.S.A. ... ASAP. Nancy Pelosi and her cronies stubborn commitment to petty party politics, instead of realistic concern over our national interest, even in the face of 76% of Americans who want off shore drilling now, will end up in bringing America to its knees.

We must drill now! No, it won't bring relief for years - but we won't be getting off crude for decades. We will need all the crude supplies we can get to function as a nation. Lets face it - working america is tapped out - you think people will be able to dump their gas / diesel vehicles that they have no equity in and buy $50,000+ on green substitutes that still can't match the internal combustion engine? How long will it be to replace jet fuel a green alternative? Getting off crude will be decades, and we need all we can get until viable replacements hit the market. And if you think Big Oil is raking in the dough - look at the $150 million+ that Al Gore made off his "Inconvienient Half- Truth" tour.

I’m all for alternative fuel, but until then we need to continue to try to find a way to get cheaper oil, or reducing the oil usage. In London they charge to drive vehicles into the city, in an attempt to force people to use the train system or the public buses. It’s possible, just very inconvenient. Also all of you people who say, stop drilling, what are we going in the mean time, while a solution to alternative fuel is being thought up? Let’s get real; we still have to drill because if we are producing the oil, it would be like buying the walmart brand over the name brand, hopefully. At least until we can come up with an alternative fuel that the public accepts.

Saying that that some oil from ANWR or offshore may be exported or it wont lower gas prices is a very stupid reason for not drilling there! Take an class in economics. If we export a million barrels from ANWR and import a million barrels from somewhere else, it costs us nothing. If we import a million barrels and export none it costs us 140 million dollars! Research and development of alternative energy sources is great and we should do that, but as long as we are useing more oil than we are producing we need to drill as much as possible. If we end up with more oil than we need we can sell it to China to pay for all our imported lead painted toys!
Democrats say drilling would not help because we wont get the oil for 10 years, a great argument they have been making for a decade - jay Leno

I was a boy during World War II. To prevent greedy profiteering of essential products during this time certain needy things were "rationed". Yes, gasoline was rationed.
It was U-boats then, raising havoc and threatening the strength and security of the U.S. by causing shortages. Yet we all had enough gas to fulfill our "needs"; conduct business, to work, store, doc, church, a movie, etc.

Now, just replace the U-boats with megacorporations, both national and international where alegiance to the U.S. is secondary. How they would resist

If a president had the intestinal fortitude to invoke something like this I would support him. WOULD YOU? Are you really ready to sacrifice hard for country and planet or are you all just self absorbed, full of talk, but nothing's going to cramp your style?

This could be implemented quickly - no waiting on drilling. Prices would drop fearful the idea would spread worldwide, which, no doubt would happen.

Let's get off the gluttony train and sacrifice a bit.

I thought Obama opposed off shore drilling as well but he managed to burn us by telling O'Reilly he favors drilling off shore now. What the heck is deal?

We need off shore drilling. It will break our dependence on the middle east, and will also boost our economy. and people need to stop complaining about how car companies need to build hybrids and alternative fuel cars now. Some of the technology is just not there, and its cost billions of dollars in development. We cant survive without oil, and we need to wait for the technology, a watched pot never boils. Off shore drilling will help you fuel your brand new electric/petroleum car with cheap oil 10 years from now. So how about you stop driving your family of four around in a ford expedition, or (gasp!) take the bus, or actually try to change your lifestyle instead of complaining

I think that other countries should not be aloud to drill in our waters. We should be the only ones aloud to drill in our waters and also we wouldn't need to buy oil from other countries! Our gas prices might go down!!!

OK lets see buy over priced oil from a Arab nation. or hire American oil
workers to drill on American land / waters. the answer for me is
simple. eather way were going to buy it. id rather see America
benefit. the tree huggers of this country have already drove most
of the good jobs out of this country with there environmental laws.
if a company cant survive here they will go elsewhere. why not
drill? open up Alaska and the coast . we need to stop supporting the world
and start supporting ourselfs.

The United States has got to be the most idiotic nation on the planet. People think they know how to run the world, when in reality their ideas are just idealistic views that can never be brought to pass. We take no concern for the future, just the here and now. Buy now, pay later has become the national slogan, all thanks to neoclassical economics. "Growth is good" isn't exactly the greatest statement in the world, because it's what got us in this mess. When will America wake up and learn that their very country is going under right in front of their eyes. How can we expect to "help" other countries if we can't even help ourselves?

I think polotics are to confusing and does anyone want to help me with my project on obama's plans for energy and oil.

i like what you guys had to say but i like obama more alot more

Offshore drilling is all good. But what we need to happen is for the democratic congress to allow the oil companies to drill in America. We have enough oil reserves in our own country to last owerselves for three hundred years. But the democratic congress, as well as Obama, only want to fill their pocketbooks with needless tax dollars that would be imposed on oil companies to drill inland. Instead, that money can come from other means to support alternative energies by consumer volunteer and at the same time, we could enjoy lower gas prices.

I say Drill Here and Drill Now! This is a long term slution the U.S. contains more oil the all middle east countries put togeather so how about this we do what we need to do global warming i an issue it is not real it was backed by so many and now dumped by all but Al Gore who may i remind you also tried to say he was the inventer of the internet which is personally the 2nd funniest thing the funniest thing i ever heard is that global warming exists and that its an issue if you notice winters over the past 20 years have been increasingly COLDER NOT WARMER do a little research on a thing called earths rotation the theory of Global Warming is disproved by 3rd grade scienxce and basic physics so get off of it its not real and if you do beleive in it go back to pre school and learn basic science then go to high school and learn basic physics then once you do this start speaking you uneducated left winged morons i want all of you to show me concrete proof oh wait you cant so i say DRILL HERE AND DRILL NOW SCREW THE POLAR BEARS ID RATHER LIVE THEN THEM ID RATHER SEE THIS COUNTRY SURVIVE COMPARED TO A DOOMED ANIMAL Basic quantum physics state in 2012 the state of the poles will change causeing the death of your precious bears so when that happens and were all freezing to death over some moronic envirowhacko we all know who to blame! THE SUPPORTERS OF BARRACK OBAMA AND THE BELEIVERS IN CONSPIRACYS LIKE GLOBAL WARMING. you want the fact the earth is actually cooling do to the smog percentage blocking the sun however the smog produced by one volcanic eruption is more then what man can produce in 1 trillion years

You people need to quit listening to hollow statements and look at facts and numbers.Lets take numbers for example; When they speak of record oil co. profits they seem to leave out record taxes. Let's take the numbers from 2006(knowing that the record profits have grown since) the "Evil" exxon Mobile alone paid 500 million more in taxes that year than all of the us citizens put together (67.9 billon as opposed to 67.4 billon) Keep in mind that there are 13 or so of these "Evil entities" paying up to 43 percent of there gross(Second highest corporate taxes in the world behind Japan. Taxes fund all programs in this country.Wake up is right!!!

How many oil rigs polluted the Gulf during Katrina, NONE.
How many oil rig accidents has there been in the last 20 years. NONE
How much oil was spilt in the Gulf during hurricane Ike. NONE
Have you ever seen the real ANWR (not the fake post card pics), It's a wasteland.
We have enough oil for 100 years, right here, that gives us plenty of time to develope alternatives.

Obama is not our savior people. as to global warming as you recall years ago now we had what was called global cooling its all a farce, a huge money making scam.. like go green... the light bulbs that are supposed to be safe pollute our enviornment and they are hazardous. bio diesel is even worse .. read the facts people.another cause The polar bears are becoming extinct thats another one that makes me laugh, no they are not becoming extinct they just want more money for research programs. thats all any of this really is a way for researchers and tree huggers to get more funding. . obqama stands for abortion, who wanted someone who would support that. there are so many issues that people just dont seem to carer. He is twanting to take away our rights ad gun owners as well. do you recall the story of the ninety year old woman who shot an intruder in HER home. she went to jail.. thats pathetic and he wants

I used to do a sentadic oil that did not freeze to a -150 degrees below zero...
it could allowed wind power genarasion in barrel alaskia and or whaile bay green land... but when the united states went defunk on the charnobyl progeat. a lot stuff went to the burn barrel... putting out nuclear desaters is not making bomb's....
An there fore dose not fall under the price & anderson act. so but the us pto a refusing to issue patent... show that it thow out the us constutition in defalting on us curincey...

I am a resident of Tarpon Springs, Fl. As most communities, we are suffering through dire economic times. Tarpon Springs is a deep water port located in West Central Florida known primarily for its historical natural sponge diving fleet. This fleet has been decimated over the last 20 years due to pollution from development, phosphate dumping and runoff from the Mississippi River. And, tourism, attracted by the sponge diving mystique, is no longer supporting the shops and restuarants. Allowing offshore drilling would create a tremendous boom to this community which could support the industry with its existing, but about to vanish forever, marine infrastructure. I was previously opposed to offshore drilling myself. However, after returning from Alaska, an environmentally sensitive area, on a telecommunications cable laying project , and seeing the coexistence of oil companies and their offshore systems and the environment, I cannot help but say that todays' technologies make offshore drilling very safe. The advantages I am looking at are immediate and long term. I supported President Obama. However I disagree with his view that offshore oil production would not benefit the economy. I cannot imagine how many "good" , immediate jobs it would create in and offshore of the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs. And, these jobs would last. Plus, there would be jobs along the whole spectrum: From labor and deckhand jobs to high technology jobs. What an economic stimulus for this area ( and the entire country would benefit) that the government , taxpayers, would not have to fund! Todays technologies are safe and safeguards would have to be built in with a wide range of contingency plans. But it can be accomplished. Why is this country so afraid of producing anymore, whether it be oil or manufacturing umbrellas? We cannot exist by just being consumers. We have to produce. Haven't we learned that by now? What is so wrong with exploring and producing our own oil? Why do we have to fund the very people that want to exterminate us? The oil that is laying off the West Coat of Florida is the focus of my stimulus plan. Tell me why it wouldn't work?

butabout to vanish if something isn't done to

Most oil spaculater's cut an run. When the oil presher bubble subside's.
There plenty of oil left.. All i did was look at a ceep way of bring up oil.
But do to the fraud of usdod. technology did not hit the markeit .
it were oil compeny's leave 98 percent of the oil behind. becose usdod still pulling fraud. on the chernobyl account.

how am I going to hide the money for putting out nuclear desater's . if I not allowed to drill a littel. like the $2,600,000,000.00 for putting out thre mile island. one has to hide the intrest some were.