To+drill

TO DRILL!

Disagreement:

In today’s economy drilling only makes sense, but there are a lot of concerns because Americans are becoming more conscience about the environment and green energy. According to Jennifer Horton (2008) she believes that pipes and hoses required to transport oil has led to erosion of the Louisiana wetlands and has removed an important storm buffer. There’s been a push in America for green energy to become less dependent on gas and more on alternative fuels and electric. Andre Bacard (1994) assumes that with electric cars their won’t be any problems, He said “Envision a planet with electric cars” (para 1). According to Bacard (1994) electric cars are sent from heaven and they will be the answer to all of our problems.

Arguments:

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration since 1975 offshore drilling has a nearly 100 percent safety record. We can’t let situations like the BP oil spill or the Exxon Valdez sway opinions. Let’s focus on the facts for example, drilling in Alaska has been on debate for years now, but what the public doesn’t know is the ANWR consist of 19 million acres of which 17.5 million, drilling company’s can’t touch. That leaves 1.5 million acres and that only small flat and featureless area will be used (Lieberman 2005). These are the facts America environmental groups and journalists don’t tell. They communicate to the public what they want them to hear, leaving out the important parts like not one species of animal has been driven to extinction because of drilling (Lieberman 2005). America you be the judge.

Green energy this and green energy that with all this talk about green energy what to do? Instead of drilling, some supporters want America to put more focus on alternative renewable fuels and energy. America must realize that drilling will decrease our dependence on foreign oil. It is by far more efficient then electric, and is more available. In the United States there are only 458 electric refueling stations compared to 180,000 (EIV 2008). America must evaluate why drilling is so important, that’s a lot of gas stations to fill-up. Also think about the cost of gas today reaching four dollars a gallon like Andre Bacard said about electric, say the same about gas “imagine the world without drilling and gas”. Bacard (1994) stated that electric cars won’t break down or have any problems with anything but he failed to state the cost of these cars which would double the cost of the standard gas car and the availability of charging stations.

