To Drill or Not to Drill
Title name course date instructor
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Allowing or outlawing off shore oil drilling is a complex issue including environmental issues and a lack of readily available alternatives. Despite the problems of global warming and possible disasters like the British Petroleum spill in 2010, many Americans still feel as though offshore drilling will provide some sort of relief in fuel prices. Offshore drilling is not a solution to the nation’s long-term energy issues. As a nation, The United States must reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and develop alternatives that are both reliable and environmentally safe.
Despite growing concern over environmental issues, the United States continues to debate whether oil drilling is allowable in the coastal waters the nation. In the 2008 Presidential campaign, both Barrack Obama and John McCain reversed years of opposition to offshore drilling to garner more votes in response to public outcry over rising fuel prices (Ennis, 2008.) Although there are two sides to this issue, I find myself having a difficult time following the logic of supporting offshore drilling. I understand that, until the United States has a viable, reliable, and environmentally sound alternative to fossil fuels, we, as a nation, are in need of more oil. I also understand the nation’s desire to be free of its dependency on Middle Eastern oil. I cannot understand however, how destroying our own coastline is somehow preferable to paying a bit more at the gas station. The problem I am having with understanding the other side of the argument is simply that offshore drilling has proven to be unsafe for the environment on more than one occasion. Perhaps it is the result of growing up along the coastline in California. I cannot imagine the beaches I grew up with suddenly covered in crude oil.
In order to overcome my inability to see any real advantages to offshore drilling, I need to discover more facts about it. How often do
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Allowing or outlawing off shore oil drilling is a complex issue including environmental issues and a lack of readily available alternatives. Despite the problems of global warming and possible disasters like the British Petroleum spill in 2010, many Americans still feel as though offshore drilling will provide some sort of relief in fuel prices. Offshore drilling is not a solution to the nation’s long-term energy issues. As a nation, The United States must reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and develop alternatives that are both reliable and environmentally safe.
Despite growing concern over environmental issues, the United States continues to debate whether oil drilling is allowable in the coastal waters the nation. In the 2008 Presidential campaign, both Barrack Obama and John McCain reversed years of opposition to offshore drilling to garner more votes in response to public outcry over rising fuel prices (Ennis, 2008.) Although there are two sides to this issue, I find myself having a difficult time following the logic of supporting offshore drilling. I understand that, until the United States has a viable, reliable, and environmentally sound alternative to fossil fuels, we, as a nation, are in need of more oil. I also understand the nation’s desire to be free of its dependency on Middle Eastern oil. I cannot understand however, how destroying our own coastline is somehow preferable to paying a bit more at the gas station. The problem I am having with understanding the other side of the argument is simply that offshore drilling has proven to be unsafe for the environment on more than one occasion. Perhaps it is the result of growing up along the coastline in California. I cannot imagine the beaches I grew up with suddenly covered in crude oil.
In order to overcome my inability to see any real advantages to offshore drilling, I need to discover more facts about it. How often do
References: Hiam, A. (1998, October). 9 Obstacles to Creativity --and How You can Remove Them. Futurist, 32(7), 30-34. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e53fd0e3-dcb0-40cd-a476-d2236ea8e3bb%40sessionmgr104&vid=4&hid=124 Ennis, M. (2008, October). The Drill Team. Texas Monthly, 36(10), 100-124. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?sid=23fcf018-c652-4af4-a3ff-4f7324c08620%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=124&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=f5h&AN=34302622