The Gulf Coast waters are made up of a variety of ecosystems and a plethora of animals, many of which are endangered. It is truly one of our national treasures, as not only does it provide beauty in its white sandy beaches and clear waters, but it is also economical. Tourism, fishing, and aerospace facilities help make the Gulf Coast region one of the most profitable areas in the country and have paved the way for many nearby metropolitan cities. However, these industries combined do not even add up to the money made by the strongest industry in the region, petrolium. Eighteen billion barrels of easily accessible oil lie deep beneath the crystal blue surface of the Gulf Coast waters.
Offshore drilling has been a debate in United States politics since the early ninetys. The subject contains many controversial topics such as alternative fuels, oil dependency, and ecological effects. While everyone agrees oil is very much needed in the United States until we can kick our dependency, not everyone agrees on where we should get the oil. President George H.W. Bush placed an executive ban ending all offshore oil extraction. However, in July 2008 that ban was lifted by President George W. Bush. Since then, the debate has become even more fiery with the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which was the largest in United States history. Nearly five million barrels of oil flowed into our waterways and onto our beaches. We cannot wait for another oil spill to take action.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/14/bush.offshore/index.html