Why do you support off-shore oil drilling?

This one is for everyone out there that supports expanded off-shore oil drilling across the country. I鈥檓 opposed to off-shore oil drilling because I think it won鈥檛 help us solve any oil price problems, it will wreck our already stressed eco-system, and I believe we should be working on becoming completely independent of oil altogether. I鈥檓 honestly just trying to understand the other point of view 鈥?so please no attacks and try to keep the aggression to a minimum. My confusion comes from this: the federal government鈥檚 own scientists have concluded that off-shore oil drilling would take 10 years to produce the first signs of oil (if oil is found) and it would only lower the cost of gas by a few cents. The only ones denying this scientific find are big oil and people who get money from big oil (as far as I can tell) 鈥?yet many people still support off-shore oil drilling.





The 3 part question is (please answer all three parts):





1) Do you believe that off-shore oil drilling will affect your gas prices in less than 10 years? Please elaborate your belief. (For example, do you believe that there is oil off the coast of most states? Do you believe that it can be extracted faster than estimated? Is it a matter of trusting big oil companies over scientists?)





2) Do you consider yourself environmentally conscience? (For example: Do you believe that the natural world is important to the existence of life, even if it鈥檚 out of sight? Have you been trying to live more 鈥榞reen鈥?)





3) Do you believe that oil drilling is safe and will not affect the environment or people very much when an accident happens?


Why do you support off-shore oil drilling?
here we go:





1 Yes. Drilling off the continental shelf of the west coast will have an inpact in a matter of less than 2 years because there is already an infrastructure in place to get the oil to port. Any efforts off the eastern seaboard are more in the 10 year range. If our Mideastern suppliers are assured that we are prepared to use our own resources, prices of imported oil will drop dramatically. The same thing happened when it was announced we would drill in Alaska and began building a pipeline. BTW, that same infrastructure is already in place should any ANWR drilling take place..





2.Yes, I am environmentally conscious but I do not believe an expansive wasteland in the Arctic circle is more important than human need nor do I believe our use of a postage stamp-sized piece of land (when compared to the entire front page of a large newspaper). will adversely affect wildlife.


Yes, I have been conserving energy and water where I can. My scooter gets over 80 mpg, the clothes dryer has been replaced with a clothesline, and my ac is rarely used and my lawn is screaming for water I will not give it. I do pick up more than my share of litter whether I am in the city or the wilderness.





3.Yes, American drilling operations are very safe. Even if we do not drill here, the oil will be drilled for us elsewhere in places where they are much less careful about spills and pollution like Nigeria and Venezuela. Two major hurricanes directly hit several of our oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico last year and not a single drop of oil went into the environment because of it. Are there still occasional accidents? Yes but our EPA does a good job of insuring that spills are cleaned up to at least minimize the environmental impact. Other countries are much more lax about safety and cleanup efforts.





Additionally, we need to first become less dependent on foreign oil imports to keep $800 billion dollars a year here in our country. We also need to give oil producers tax incentives to use their profits for the research and development of alternative energy sources like solar, wind, bio-mass to clean-burning liquid, nuclear, and any other sources that can be used to reduce our oil consumption for energy. Oil will still be important for many products like all plastics, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and a wide array of products that touch all our lives every day..Why do you support off-shore oil drilling?
Off-shore oil drilling is needed now.It will bring the price of gas down to $1.25 a gallon.I don't care about the eco-system or the environment.Living green is for suckers.
no, I don't.