I sent this in to my local paper tonight. After ready dozens of opinion pieces that are pro-drilling... I simply felt obligated to respond. Even if my words fall on deaf ears, I can't help but feel it's my societal duty to write in.
-John
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| I've recently read several opinion pieces stating how "narrow minded" it has been for some lawmakers to continue to block offshore drilling. Many have stated this is exactly how we got ourselves into the current oil crisis to begin with. OK, may I remind those folks that it was the first President Bush that enacted the executive ban on offshore drilling to begin with. That ban paralleled a law that has been subsequently backed by every Congress and every president since the early-80's when Congress made it law. In fact, even the current President and the likely GOP nominee John McCain have formerly been against offshore drilling. Oil drilling is ultimately delaying the inevitable; the oil's going to run out. If we would invest in the renewable technology to replace our oil-driven society, in ten years we'll be a lot closer to energy independence than we will be if we continue our love affair with black gold. Just think where we'd be if we'd done that ten years ago? It's easy to look back and second guess, but right now we need to make the best choice for the future; and we've been down this oily road before. Will history teach us nothing? And whether you believe the science of global warming or not, it's hard to argue with the added benefit of not dumping carbon into the atmosphere like there's no tomorrow. Of course, if we continue with oil and all of its great side effects, that tomorrow idea comes up a little hazy – literally. |
