Oil prices continued their decline as “refineries along the Gulf of Mexico coast will soon resume operations after escaping major damage from Hurricane Ike.”
This reminds me of something Charles Krauthammer wrote in June:
Technological conditions have changed as well. We now are able to drill with far more precision and environmental care than a quarter-century ago. We have thousands of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, yet not even hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in spills of any significance.
Although there are reports of two Gulf oil rigs adrift (though “not in a critical position“) in the wake of the latest storm, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence of any significant spills.
Seems that with new technologies, we can drill off-shore without much risk to the environment.
Just think how much we could start producing if we drilled off of the Florida coast, or if we dropped the Cuba Trade Embargo and encouraged US companies to begin negotiations for exploratory drilling off of Cuba!
A McCain jobs plan to jump start the economy should include a “drill now” plan. Adding thousands of jobs in FLA, LA, TX, AK. Adding union jobs by the thousands.
Not to mention the thousands of people needed to build new nuclear power plants, new transmission lines, clean coal plants, refineries, pipelines, shale oil production facilities… potentially hundreds of thousands of jobs at no cost to the taxpayer.
Compared to the Democrat plan … borrow money from China for make-work government projects and community organizers … the McPalin plan looks pretty sweet!
Actually, that is a hit FOR the case for drilling. No damage means this storm won’t drive up the prices. OPB is now below $100 per barrel, at $96. If oil and gas prices continue to fall, and if the Lehman Bros and Merrill Lynch situations are as grave as they look, we have serious problems ahead. This will take all the attention off the energy crisis, which means all impetus to support drilling will be gone.
Before we drill, drill, drill, I suggest everyone realize that the bottom line for drilling is greed, greed, greed. We need to raise the fuel economy standards in automobiles. Auto industry lobbyists pay off congress in order to keep us stuck with cars that get no mileage. Just think of the energy we would save if all cars got 30mpg. I am a conservative and an avid environmentalist. Please go to these two links and read why drilling in ANWR is not wise:
http://www.gwichinsteeringcommittee.org/history.html
http://www.alternet.org/story/11050/drilling_in_alaska:_over_dead_gwich?page=entire