Despite billions paid out by BP in fines and restoration costs, the economic impact of the disaster remains wide-reaching and ongoing. / But possibly even more outrageous than the spill itself is how little has been done by government to prevent a similar disaster. The oil and gas industry has stayed active in Washington, and managed to fend off serious efforts to curb drilling: Congress has passed zero new laws—not one—to restrict offshore drilling or force it to be safer. The Obama administration has approved over 1,500 offshore drilling permits since the spill. And back in January the administration announced a plan to open new areas in the Atlantic and Arctic for offshore drilling. Louisiana’s oversight of the oil industry is rife with ludicrous conflicts of interest that raise serious doubts about the state’s ability to make drilling safer. / In other words, the wounds from BP are scarcely healed, but we’re pushing deeper and deeper into offshore drilling. / In fact, well construction in the Gulf is literally pushing into deeper water, where the risks of a spill are even greater
If we didn’t have drilling going on state lands and offshore and the resulting employment and revenue it provides, this country would already be in a bigger recession than we had in 09. Check the current GDP and you will find that the economy is almost in contraction at a paltry 2/10 of one percent growth.
Banning underwater drilling is impractical. That ship has sailed.
As long as we demand petro-chemicals (and anyone who flies commercially does), and are willing to pay more for it than it costs to extract, this industry will continue.
The most effective way of combating new drilling with new techniques is to not buy the resulting products. But good luck trying to live without plastics.
Mister, did you know that the Utah oil sands have a proven reserve of 4 billion barrels of oil and that is just a small area in N/E Utah. We need not do the deep water drilling at all which is expensive and dangerous. Move those rigs down to Brazil and let George Soros drill down there offshore and they can eat the oil that spills when they have a big accident.
How about just drilling on land for a change. There is plenty of oil and gas in several fields.
Despite billions paid out by BP in fines and restoration costs, the economic impact of the disaster remains wide-reaching and ongoing. / But possibly even more outrageous than the spill itself is how little has been done by government to prevent a similar disaster. The oil and gas industry has stayed active in Washington, and managed to fend off serious efforts to curb drilling: Congress has passed zero new laws—not one—to restrict offshore drilling or force it to be safer. The Obama administration has approved over 1,500 offshore drilling permits since the spill. And back in January the administration announced a plan to open new areas in the Atlantic and Arctic for offshore drilling. Louisiana’s oversight of the oil industry is rife with ludicrous conflicts of interest that raise serious doubts about the state’s ability to make drilling safer. / In other words, the wounds from BP are scarcely healed, but we’re pushing deeper and deeper into offshore drilling. / In fact, well construction in the Gulf is literally pushing into deeper water, where the risks of a spill are even greater
If we didn’t have drilling going on state lands and offshore and the resulting employment and revenue it provides, this country would already be in a bigger recession than we had in 09. Check the current GDP and you will find that the economy is almost in contraction at a paltry 2/10 of one percent growth.
Banning underwater drilling is impractical. That ship has sailed.
As long as we demand petro-chemicals (and anyone who flies commercially does), and are willing to pay more for it than it costs to extract, this industry will continue.
The most effective way of combating new drilling with new techniques is to not buy the resulting products. But good luck trying to live without plastics.
Mister, did you know that the Utah oil sands have a proven reserve of 4 billion barrels of oil and that is just a small area in N/E Utah. We need not do the deep water drilling at all which is expensive and dangerous. Move those rigs down to Brazil and let George Soros drill down there offshore and they can eat the oil that spills when they have a big accident.