Do you believe in offshore oil drilling?

I believe it will take 10 years to make any difference in gas prices and then, it will only be a few cents difference. It also results in lots of oil leakage and drilling fluids and will kill a large area of the ecosystem around each rig. In addition, it will delay the development of alternative energy sources, which are our only long term solution.





';The Energy Information Administration said that opening access to undersea oil fields ';in the Pacific, Atlantic and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.'; Drilling in domestic waters off all the coasts except Alaska's would increase annual production from 2.2 million barrels a day to 2.4 million barrels a day, the agency estimates.';





';In the drilling process, the drilling fluid is used to lubricate the drill bit as it drills through the layer of hard rock of the outer continental shelf. A toxic soup is formed when the fluid blends with rock, mud, and naturally occurring radioactive materials, which can spread at the minimum of a thousand meters from the rigs.





These drilling muds and cuttings as well as the produced waters contain, according to the EPA: arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, barite, chrome lignosulfate, petroleum hydrocarbons, vanadium, copper, aluminum, chromium, zinc, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, radionuclides, and other heavy metals. All of these chemicals pose a threat to the area surrounding the rigs for as many as forty years. Such threats are affecting the quality of the marine water, harming the organisms that stay on the bottom of the ocean, and, ultimately, having negative impacts throughout the region, which includes changes in the abundance richness and diversity of the marine life from both the physical and toxic effects.





Oil and grease, ethylbenzene, napthalene, toluene, and zinc are included in the category of workover fluids, with restrictions only having an effect on the dumping of the oil and grease.





Draining of oil, grease, drilling fluids, lubricants, ethylene, fuels, surfacants, biocides, detergents, corrosion inhibitors, bleach, cleaning solvents, coagulants, as well as other chemicals off of the rig deck has a disastrous affect on the surrounding marine environment.





For every well that is drilled, about 8,000 square feet can be covered by as much as a meter thick of drilling waste, which can remain in the environment for at least two years. If the mud were to get scattered, by a hurricane for example, the waste could ultimately last for as long as forty years. Around an exploratory well that belonged to Chevron, inspectors discovered that shovels, bags, pipes, tubing, hose, and many other forms of debris covered more than three acres.





The effects of offshore drilling are not simply felt by the surrounding environment, but also by the marine life. These effects have damaging consequences for our fisheries, food chain, balance of the ecosystem, health, and the enjoyment that we find in the diversity of nature. One compelling fact is that the federal government allows the ';taking'; (killing) of marine life during the drilling for oil and gas, which in return, has negative effects on various marine mammals, including manatees and dolphins. Furthermore, the extent that contaminants can amplify and bioaccumulate is unknown, and the lack of knowledge in this area has an ensuing impact on many of the marine mammals.';Do you believe in offshore oil drilling?
yes, why is it right to drill in the middle east, and not closer to home? The environment is affected the same no matter where the drilling is done. The only difference is who is getting paid the money for the oil, and who is inconvienced by the ugly looking drills and platforms that you have to look at. Do you believe in offshore oil drilling?
yes, diffidently. we can't keep relying on other countries for oil, because all the gets us is higher prices.


Obama says that we won't see a difference for like ten years, but i don't care. the question arose ten years ago but we ended up not drilling, and look where we are now.


also, Obama is saying that he is going to create alternate energy, but how long is that going to take? he never even says anything about that.
believe in it? It is not a belief, but for sure necessary right now. There will come a time that we will not rely on oil drilling as much. The oilfield has so many jobs that if it didn't exist that our economy would be even worse off than now. I don't consider offshore or onshore oil drilling such a bad thing. Do you know what all oil is used for; even plastic is made from oil? Can you imagine not having it?
No. It's not going to help us for ten years at the earliest, and even then it will only be marginally. In the meantime, it will affect tourism to the gulf coast and potentially wreck ecological havoc (hurricanes have a nasty habit of knocking the rigs over.)





We need to concentrate on clean, renewable energy.
yes even though it will take 10 years we still should do it. we need to break our depedicy on oil, but that's not going to happen in the next 20 years maybe more. but first we need to stop buying oil from foreign countries. its hurting our economies and our value of our dollar.
Its a gimmick. the oil companies are sitting back watching the republicans BEG them to drill- there is absolutely no gurarantee that it will lower gas prices, but it WILL ruin the environment.





**Rita and Katrina accounted for 124 spills
it's not a myth, I've seen the oil rigs. Seriously, it's a matter of choice, if you choose to protest offshore drilling, it's hypocritical to complain about gas and oil prices, or vice versa.
It's a stupid idea it'll take a decade to ACTUALLY start drilling and producing oil, and by then by god i hope we have hydrogen powered cars up and running.
No, but I believe in finding other solutions to the energy crisis besides off shore drilling, biodiesel, and ethanol.
No, I think we as a human race should quit drilling for oil and concrete on other more eco-friendly resources. The knowledge is already out there, just has to be put into place.
We should develop it for our security.


The Arabs may withhold our oil; especially if we start bombing them.
i think offshore drilling should be discontinued and alternative sources of energy should be found.
Yes! We need to drill offshore and in ANWR to increase the supply and lower the price of gasoline.
Yes... I have seen offshore drillings myself. It DOES exist, so I do believe in it.
Well, I wouldn't pray to it but sure I suppose it's possible.
It will not solve our current dilemma.
Yes. I am absolutely sure it exists.
believe in it? i've seen it happen!