So if it is going to take years, and we cn't afford to wait, why isn't Obama in favor of opening up the OCS?
The federal government estimates the nation's outer continental shelf might hold 85.9 billion barrels of crude. For comparison, the United States consumes about 7.56 billion barrels of oil per year. The nation's sea floor also could hold 419.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, equal to U.S. consumption for 14 1/2 years.
If we wait a year, then it would be eight years before this supply was tapped. If we wait two years, then it will be nine years. And in the meantime Cuban and China are tapping into this supply off the coast of Florida. How does that help us address the energy crisis in our country?
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A False Accusation About Energy
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And even then, the EIA study says, "Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant."
Any notion that drilling could start more quickly than EIA estimates should be weighed against the fact that there is a shortage of drill ships. According to a New York Times article published last month, existing rigs are booked solid for the next five years. While shipyards have begun work on new ships, it will be some time before there are enough to accelerate the pace of offshore exploration, whether or not new areas are opened.
McCain's "Pushing" on Climate Change
The ad's right when it says McCain is "pushing his own party to face climate change." His efforts date back to 2000, when he first acknowledged that he was concerned by the "mounting evidence" presented by members of the scientific community. In 2003 he joined with Sen. Joe Lieberman, then a Democrat, to introduce a bill to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Republished with permission from factcheck.org.
Sources
"Climate Change: McCain Expresses Global Warming Worries." Greenwire, 18 May 2000.
Cohn, Peter. "McCain Sets Three Hearings for First Week of New congress." Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, 23 Dec. 2002.
"McCain, Lieberman Introduce Plan to Cut Greenhouse Emissions." The Bulletin's Frontrunner, 9 Jan. 2003.
Republican Party ad assails Obama on energy. 6 Jul. 2008. The Associated Press, 8 Jul. 2008.
Mouwad, Jad. Economists Weigh McCain's Gas-Tax Plan. 37 Apr. 2008. The Caucus: The New York TimesPolitics Blog, 8 Jul. 2008.
Impact of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf. The Energy Information Administration, 2007.
© 2008
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