It is likely that the offshore drilling debate in the US will remain unresolved for years to come. In my last posting, I presented a resolution for off-shore drilling that would keep the oil companies happy and the environmentalists. However, even this plan contains some possible implications. By regulating drilling and enforcing more rules, the federal government could help make the process much safer for the workers and the environment. I also stated that the US should begin investing money into alternative energy sources instead of building new wells. These actions will require a lot of money, and will be governmentally funded leading to disagreements from citizens. Completing all of these regulations and updating wells to the new guidelines will take time, and oil will not be produced. This could lead to immediate gasoline price jumps.
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the first implication that comes to mind is another oil spill. The Gulf waters and the ecozones and animals that inhabit them have been severely affected by the last oil spill, and another could ruin any ecological diversity and attractions the region has to offer. The next implication that could arise if regulations are not enforced on offshore drilling is the effect it will have on other nations. Currently, the United States has a good trade balance because of the amount of oil imported from the Middle East. However, if we no longer relied on the Middle East a trade deficit could arise.
It is very true that the US will face many adversities if we do not address the issue of offshore drilling. You mention in your theory post that one way to solve this issue is to move our dependence from oil to renewable resources, and I wholeheartedly agree with this endeavor. You say in “the day after tomorrow” post that this would lead to higher gas prices and I say BRING IT ON!! The United States has done absolutely nothing about the dismal outcome of our dependence on oil as our main source for fuel and we keep forgetting that our number one priority should be the environment and our worries about the economy should take the backseat. Yeah it is definitely will be expensive to research other sources of energy but our dependence on foreign oil is degrading America in multiple ways. The damages oil spills cause are irreversible but at the same are avoidable if we just focus our attention on other dependable resources. America is so caught up on the fact that oil is satisfying our needs currently that it seems like we can’t look into the future of energy sources. I know that the government sees the shortcomings of our dependence on oil but it’s like they’re stuck in the mud and refusing to admit that it is a problem and put forth effort change our ways. I love how your blog makes me think about the current policies in America and it helps me think critically about what’s going on in our nation.
ReplyDeletethank you for your comment, I hope more people begin to see the scary truth that the future may be bleak if we do not change now
ReplyDelete