The United States should continue with offshore oil drilling

As a brief roadmap, I will center the debate on two broad topics 1. Dependence 2. Economy Dependence America's dependence on foreign oil is a bad thing. According to David Sandalow [1], assistant secretary of energy for policy and international affairs, and former senior fellow of the Brookings Institute, dependence on foreign oil does three things. First, it strengthens Al-Queda and other Islamic terrorist groups because "By making us central players in a region torn by ancient rivalries, oil dependence has exposed us to resentment, vulnerability and attack . . . Today, deep resentment of the U. S. role in the Persian Gulf remains a powerful recruitment tool for Islamic fundamentalists . . . To protect oil flows, the U. S. policymakers will feel compelled to maintain relationships and exert power in the region in ways likely to fuel Islamic terrorists. " Clearly, the fact that the means the United States must use to gain oil are being used as recruiting tools for terrorists. Second, dependence on foreign oil gives oil-exporting nations power. These countries do not always have the United States best interest in mind. ". . . rising oil prices enhance the wealth and power of those who wish us ill, putting all Americans at risk. " Third, oil dependence is harmful to our troops. He points to the fact that troops in oil convoys are at risk for attack. Fourth, oil dependence undermines democracy. Foreign nations gain wealth because the United States buys oil. This corrupts them, and it causes a shift to a more authoritarian government. Clearly, dependence on foreign oil is a bad thing. Offshore drilling will help solve the problem of foreign dependency. According to Cambridge Energy[2], deep water areas of the Gulf of Mexico would produce 800,000 barrels of oil a day and help stabilized oil prices. Offshore drilling is also the only means to increase the domestic supply of oil, according to the Energy Information Service[3]. Offshore oil drilling is becoming more economically feasible because of new technology and rising prices. According to the United States Department of the Interior, specifically, the Minerals Management Services[4], an increase from 3 deep-water offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to 36 deep-water offshore oil rigs increased from 1992 to 2008. If offshore drilling is banned in the United States, U. S. importation of oil would greatly increase, increasing the dependency on foreign oil. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar[5] said offshore drilling is a necessary part of the United States energy policy. He estimates that 30% of the United States' oil production comes from the Gulf of Mexico alone. Clearly, offshore drilling needs to continue because it provides much of the United States' domestic oil. In summary, when you consider that the U. S. already imports a little more than half (51%) of its oil, and 30% of the domestic oil comes from offshore drilling alone, offshore drilling is the only effective way to reduce dependency. Economy According to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration[6], daily production of oil from offshore wells in the lower 48 states will rise by 40% from 2010 to 2035. This would be a significant increase in domestic oil production which would not only help stabilize the price, but it would also decrease dependency. Offshore oil drilling already provides a significant amount of our domestic oil (30% in the Gulf of Mexico alone) and since it is projected to increase, it will provide even more of our oil and become an even more significant factor in the price of oil. Also, according to Dr. David Kreutzer, a ban on drilling would increase costs of imported oil by $737 billion. Clearly, the price increase should be avoided which is why drilling must continue. According to Andrew J. Hoffman and Thomas P. Lyon[7], offshore drilling has the very important economic benefit of taking money from foreign investors and essentially giving it to western oil companies. This money benefits the investors in oil companies and overall, the public. It will also lower the amount of funding that terrorist groups receive. There are many jobs that come from offshore oil drilling. According to a study by Dr. Joseph R. Mason[8], there are several ways in which offshore drilling supports local economies. He says that the following phases of drilling provide jobs: Exploratory drilling and the development of offshore facilities, the extraction process, and the refining of the crude oil. He also says that, since the refining of oil occurs in other areas besides the local, which affects even more economies. In Louisiana, based on statistics from 2005 figures estimate 15.4% of total household earnings can be traced back to those jobs, which amounts to approximately $12.7 billion dollars. Dr. Mason also provided estimations regarding the effects of the 6 month oil moratorium. Conservatively, he provides the following: in economies near the Gulf Coast, upwards of 8,169 jobs are expected to be lost and more than 12,046 jobs will be lost nationwide. Dr. Mason estimates that between $65 to $135 million in wages will be lost per month, which is $487 in lost wages in the Gulf region, and $707 million nationwide. He also estimates the following losses in tax revenue: $219 million in federal tax and $97 million in lost state and local tax revenue in Louisiana. This decrease in revenue will greatly affect the services provided by the government. Keep in mind that the study by Dr. Mason was an estimation for a six-month moratorium. If there were a permanent ban on offshore drilling, there could be a much greater impact on the economy. I will review by stating my main points and their impacts. Dependency is decreased by offshore drilling, and it would be increased if offshore drilling were decreased. Dependency has several impacts, which are that it strengthens terrorist groups, it undermines the United State's power, it puts troops in harm's way, and it undermines Democracy. The economic impacts are huge. Offshore drilling decreases prices, helps investors, and provides many, vital jobs. Thus, I urge a pro vote. [1]. http://www.brookings.edu... [2]. http://www.washingtonpost.com... [3]. http://www.cfr.org... [4]. http://www.gomr.boemre.gov... [5]. http://www.reuters.com... [6]. http://heritage.org... [7]. http://erbsustainability.wordpress.com... [8]. http://www.masterresource.org...