Drilling for Answers

According to Avery Lovins-Rocky Mountain Institute; in his testimony to the Energy Dept, he stated that Nuclear was Too Expensive.

By the way, McCain has taken $1.5 million dollars from the Oil Companies. Who side do you think he's on?!!

Offshore Drilling is NOT the answer to our fuel crisis. We have got to break free of not only foreign oil but oil altogether. We have GOT to develop an alternative fuel source that is affordable to the people. A $50,000 car is NOT the answer because most of us can't afford that. Oil has got us over a barrel and the Gov't isn't doing a thing about it. They're making too much money off of us.

Does the Democratic leadership under Barack Obama expect current electric power plants to provide all the huge electricity requirements to recharge and power all the new hybrid and electric cars will be coming on line. There will have to be new power plants built and these must be nuclear plants. If Democrats think that wind or solar will recharge all of these new cars, they have to be joking because the wind does not blow all the time. The new sources of additional electricity to charge up all these cars will have to come from nuclear energy.
Why is there such an ingrained irrational paranoia about nuclear energy and waste disposal among some Americans especially the Democratic leadership under the direction of Barack Obama. Importantly also why is it somehow okay for hundreds of thousands of Navy sailors to have served for nearly thirty-five years aboard nuclear power American aircraft carriers and nuclear powered submarines and air force personnel to handle nuclear bombs but Democratic leadership under Barack Obama will not consider to even remotely assume any risks involved with nuclear power. Is it okay for our servicemen to be exposed to alleged risks but not the Democratic leadership who oppose nuclear power. This paranoia is particular evident with the Democrats acceptance of risks that are associated with other aspects of modern American living. Forty thousand people die every year in the United States in auto accidents but there is no outcry to ban all automobiles in the United States. Bridges have collapsed recently in Minnesota and tunnels ceilings in Boston have fallen but there is no consensus on eliminating bridges or tunnels. There have been airplane crashes that have also involved injuries on the ground but there is no outcry to ban air travel. There have been repeated rail and ship accidents but no outcry to ban railroads or ship travel. The irrational fear involving nuclear power and waste disposal has no justification. American people undergo multiple medical and dental xrays and CT scans yearly and have no fear. TSA airport screeners and medical staff work daily around xray equipment, fluoroscopes, and CT machines and do not experience adverse health consequences as a result of their work exposure. There were no documented adverse health events associated with the Three Mile Island release of minor radiation in the 1970s and no payments for health losses were ever made involving lawsuits related to that accident. The containment vessel held at Three Mile Island. In light of most Americans acceptance of risks associated with automobiles, trains, planes, and ships, the fear on the part of the Democratic leadership of nuclear power can not be viewed as rational. John McCain's proposals to build 45 new nuclear power plants along with his other energy proposals on conservation and renewable energy will help America achieve relative energy independence in the near term and long term.

??? If you think about it John McCain plan for forty-five new nuclear power plants is reasonable, needed and attainable. Our current 108 nuclear power plants supply twenty (20) percent of our electricity requirements. This is amazing considering that it has been thirty years since there has been new construction on new nuclear power plants anywhere in the United States. Construction on new nuclear power plants has occurred throughout the world but not in the United States thanks to Democratic leadership. In France, nuclear power supplies 80 percent of their electricity needs. Because 108 nuclear power plants are generating twenty percent of our needs, an additional 45 nuclear power plants will only increase the percentage of nuclear power to roughly 28 percent of our needs well short of French eighty percent nuclear power generation of electricity. John McCain proposals are reasonable and will help lead us to energy independence. Democrats under the leadership of Barack Obama want to study the issue for another 30 years. By that time the only remaining United States builder of nuclear power plants General Electric will have gone the way of Westinghouse and sold its nuclear construction division to a foreign owned company Toshiba Corporation of Japan. Given the Democratic led hostile business environment for nuclear power in the United States, we will have no United States owned companies capable of building nuclear power plants.

The reality is that a few nuclear power plants will have a greater contribution to our energy independence than all the contributions of solar, wind, and thermal energy. Only the proposals of John McCain on nuclear power, offshore drilling, wind, and solar energy will make the idea of United States energy independence a reality.

John McCain realizes that the Democrats under the leadership of Barack Obama want to effectively give away in trust our offshore exclusive economic zone by standing in the way of any current offshore development. Under the 1982 United Nations Law of the Seas Convention the US has an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and mineral seabed rights up to 350 nautical miles extending along the Continental shelf. A nautical mile is 6080 feet so our exclusive economic zone extends about 240 miles and mineral seabed rights extend 420 miles. The US has the world's largest offshore exclusive economic zone totaling 4.4 million square miles. In comparison, the total land area of the United States is only 3.4 million square miles.
On the East coast alone, if you drive from Key West Florida to Bangor Maine it is 2000 miles. Multiply the 2000 miles by mineral seabed rights extending out 420 miles results in a total of 840,000 square miles of ocean acreage. Because we have the world's largest offshore coastline which is twenty-five percent greater than our land area, it only makes common sense that we exploit our offshore resources to achieve our energy independence.

??? John McCain understands that under the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift, 300 million years ago when oil was formed all of the continents were one supercontinent called Pangea. The continents then drifted apart. The Africa coast was right up against North Carolina 300 million years ago. Today half of the oil production of Nigeria is now offshore and the odds of large offshore deposits off our east coast are very strong. There are also huge oil deposits off of east coast of Brazil. Brazil has tied up almost all of the world ocean drilling ships in the hopes of developing those deposits. Given there is confirmed oil off of Brazil, likely oil off the Southern US east coast and there is confirmed large deposits south of Newfoundland then it is likely there is oil all up and down the entire United States east coast. The United States has the largest coastline in the world and it is simple common sense to make use of those offshore resources to achieve our energy independence. John McCain energy proposals will bring about this development that we so desperately need.

This is so stupid. Why can't politicians understand that the US companies will be much better at maintaining the environment than, say, a Venezuelan or Chinese company. Additionally, demand will not go down in the short term no matter how much the Obama; Pelosi; Kennedy camps want to "shut it off ". In addition to current vehicles, heating etc technologies and consumers not having the capital to purchase "newer, cleaner cars and trucks; there are 170 by-products of oil used to make myriad products used in daily life. These 170 compounds will need replacement technology BEFORE we shut off the spicket.

Pelosi shutting down discussions will not make these realities go away - despite her fairy tale world. Additionally, the whole "We won't see this oil for 10 years" arguement is a partial lie. Yes, it will take some time for the oil to come to market; however, with 21st century technology (NOT the 1970's technology those 10 year projections are based on) it will be a lot less than 10 years - potentially some production on-line and in the market in under 4 years (3 provided the government approves drilling and gets the HELL out of the way of industry) Plus, if these dumb @$$e$ had handled this a decade ago when oil shortages were first projected; we'd all be sittting pretty.

We SO need to send these dopes HOME in November!!!!!

We are weakening our position in the world by having the politicians playing this political war with one another. I am getting fed up with it, as well as the majority of the population. As much as the Dems and the Reps admit it, oil IS presently a needed commodity. We must produce more to bring the cost down. Just mentioning that this is seriously being looked at brought the prices of oil down considerably.

Enough with the political games!!! Please, someone needs to get their heads out of their - you know what's - and actually look at the ov erall domino effect that this is causing with the economy. If it takes ten years to bring the cost down so be it. If we do something now it is only ten years. If we wait, it will take that much longer.

Demand is not going down world wide. The US needs to produce more of what it consumes. It does not export any oil, but is a net importer. Oil will not become cheaper until demand goes down or supply goes up. The main reason to open up drilling in prohibited areas is to stop sending $$ to other countries and keep it in the US. Whoever owns the mineral rights to the oil will make $$. Most likely that is states and the Federal government for offshore deposits. They will collect the revenue from the mineral rights at the going rate and we will see that money put to use in this country, not in the Middle East.

Canada and Mexico are our two biggest suppliers of oil, followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuala. Perhaps we can find enough oil to replace the oil we import from Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Demand is not going down world wide. The US needs to produce more of what it consumes. It does not export any oil, but is a net importer. Oil will not become cheaper until demand goes down or supply goes up. The main reason to open up drilling in prohibited areas is to stop sending $$ to other countries and keep it in the US. Whoever owns the mineral rights to the oil will make $$. Most likely that is states and the Federal government for offshore deposits. They will collect the revenue from the mineral rights at the going rate and we will see that money put to use in this country, not in the Middle East.

Canada and Mexico are our two biggest suppliers of oil, followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuala. Perhaps we can find enough oil to replace the oil we import from Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Is offshore drilling "the" answer to our energy independence needs? No it's not "the" answer, but It is "a" part of the answer!!!!

Yes . But the problem didn't just strart this year but for the last 30 years, we hired our government to look to the future, but all they have done is stick there heads in the sand.. What have they been doing this past week is talk about AIDS/HIV in other countries and then gave them $50 Billion. How many barrels of oil would that have bought? If I was in charge there would be no other issues on the table and no recess at the end of the month until this problem has been resolved.

Oh yes, you cannot just stop using oil one day and start using hydrogen the next. So I'm not sure why people are so gun-ho on pushing for alternative fuels like its going to happen tomorrow. We need a plan. That plan should include a short term and long term goal. Obviously our infrastructure currently only supports petroleum so the short term goal is to drive oil prices down, get the economy going again so we can fund our long term goal. If we fall into a recession, how will we go green? Try buying solar panels, a windmill, or a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle when your laid off. Hello people! Don't listen to this rhetoric on TV. For once the current administration has done something intelligent and that is to give the notion that we will have more oil in the future by opening offshore drilling. That will quell speculators since they are betting on the future and burst this oil bubble. Let's think, China and India have been growing at an astounding rate for many years now, all of a sudden they are using more oil and we have no more left - surprise. Not true, there is alot left and the Chinese are taking it right off our coast. There is enough to fuel this global economy until we can become petroleum dependence free. We are on our way and the speculators see that now. Our petroleum dependence has actually dropped over the past few months, something that hasn't happened in a long while. More people are buying coal and wood burning boilers, putting up solar panels, huge farms in Texas are used for generating wind energy in addition to raising cattle and corn and are actually making more by generating electricity than farming. Maybe we can not only decrease our dependence on oil but also get rid of farm aide this way and make the farmers actually wealthy for a change. Maybe decrease our food supply too so we can hord if for ourselves and sell it at a premium to OPEC nations and let them have a taste of their own medicine.

Does it matter? Oil prices are not driven by supply and demand. The Saudis didn't see a need to raise production considering they actually have a surplus so why does the price of oil keep going up? Speculation that's why. Same reason why the housing market boomed, same reason why .coms were hot. Funny how our leader stated that he will allow offshore drilling and oil prices declined over $10. The Democrats should put foot in mouth. They add nothing to this economy other than negative rhetoric which actually makes it worse, not to mention leaking out letters about bank failures, etc. Sometimes I really agree with some radio talk show hosts that these democrats and the media backing them have an agenda to destroy our way of life. You can't blame them for saying it when you have Pelosi saying opening offshore drilling won't do anything to help us in the short term. Ummm.. $10 drop in 2 days is rather fast don't you think. They are either really stupid for not knowing how the economy works or they are very shrewd in knowing very well how to push their agenda in destroying american way of life. Either way it's not good for the Democrats. I would like to think they are just stupid. The whole agenda thing is just too depressing.

Does it matter? Oil prices are not driven by supply and demand. The Saudis didn't see a need to raise production considering they actually have a surplus so why does the price of oil keep going up? Speculation that's why. Same reason why the housing market boomed, same reason why .coms were hot. Funny how our leader stated that he will allow offshore drilling and oil prices declined over $10. The Democrats should put foot in mouth. They add nothing to this economy other than negative rhetoric which actually makes it worse, not to mention leaking out letters about bank failures, etc. Sometimes I really agree with some radio talk show hosts that these democrats and the media backing them have an agenda to destroy our way of life. You can't blame them for saying it when you have Pelosi saying opening offshore drilling won't do anything to help us in the short term. Ummm.. $10 drop in 2 days is rather fast don't you think. They are either really stupid for not knowing how the economy works or they are very shrewd in knowing very well how to push their agenda in destroying american way of life. Either way it's not good for the Democrats. I would like to think they are just stupid. The whole agenda thing is just too depressing.