Can I have ONE good reason why we shouldn't drill for oil?

The drilling companies can have oil in less than 3 months. The Arabs will immediately cut our prices in half the moment the drill hits the ground. If we started drilling today, we could have $2.50/gal by friday. One good reason?Can I have ONE good reason why we shouldn't drill for oil?
I’ll give you SIX “comprehensive” reasons





First of all, when you drill in Venezuela or the Middle East it has no effect on the environment, because the rich Malibu liberals can’t see the oil rigs from their million dollar beach homes.





Secondly, outsourcing jobs is bad unless they are high paying oil jobs, those jobs belong in the middle east and Venezuela. Get them OUT of the US NOW !!





Third, Obama rides for free from the secret service so he doesn’t care how much gas costs. This goes for most of his supporters too, who are either on welfare or college pel grants and government loans they will never repay.





Fourth, it is essential that we have no energy plan whatsoever, we just stop using oil and hope that some smart guy with money invents something to replace oil before we all starve to death – this is the ';Comprehensive Obama energy Strategy. (C.O.S.T).





Fifth the oil companies aren’t drilling on all their oil leases, not because of excessive regulations, not because there is no oil on these leftover scraps thrown tossed to them, but because they are evil oil companies





Last, despite what you were taught in economics, drilling for oil won’t strengthen the dollar and increasing supply won’t lower gas prices, this “supply and demand theory” is just right wing propaganda spread by Exon and Fox News.





Don’t you get it? You will PAY $300 to fill your car, or you will ride a moped or bicycle (just like all the other 3rd world counties) and you will LOVE it !





Obama – Nation


Vote Obama 08!Can I have ONE good reason why we shouldn't drill for oil?
What is your support for saying that the US has untapped reserves that, if opened up, would cut the price of gas in half? First, the oil markets already reflect the oil that the US is currently producing and will continue to produce. Second, if the US open up all areas to oil drilling that are currently subject to a moratorium, it would open up 35 billion barrels (see description below). Since the world currently produces about 85 million barrels a day, the US's untapped reserves would (if they could be taken all out in a year) increase supply by about 10%.





Why would a 10% increase in supply lead to a 50% price decrease?





The facts on US oil reserves. The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which supports drilling in the coastal plain on ANWR, estimates that currently there is 30 billion barrels of oil off shore that is subject to the moratoriaum. The Energy Information Agency estimates that US could get 4.3 barrels out of ANWR over the next 12 years.
Here's an answer precisely as factual as your question: it would disturb the ANWR population of unicorns, and they would curse us by making the price of oil rise, and causing your brain to get even smaller than it now is - I know that isn't really possible, but unicorns have magical powers.





In fact, if we start drilling today, no oil would be available for about 8 - 10 years. There isn't the slightest reason to believe that drilling would cause any sudden drop in the price of oil, which is dictated by the excess of demand over supply, as well as the weak dollar (the latter being largely a gift from Mr Bush).





Let's assume, however, that we could get oil out of ANWR starting tomorrow, and that we could pump enough to meet the entire increase in demand that has come in the past 6 years. Pumping ANWR at that rate, it would be gone in about 3.5 years, and we'd be right back where we are now - except with fewer reserves. And, since we wouldn't have worried about conservation while ANWR kept pump prices low, we'd be driving more SUVs and fewer hybrids, leaving us more at the mercy of Saudi Arabia than we were before. Along with higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere and more global warming.
Basically, the oil you are talking about is offshore or in ANWR. Try 5 years, not 3 months.





And that oil is on public land--you and Buh want to hand the oil companies billions of dollars of oil that belongs tothe American people for free.





And what makes you think the oil companies will lower their prices? They have no incentive to do so. They have no real competition, they are not accountable to the public like a power company--there is NO leverage on them.





As for the Arabs--so what. We only get 10% of our imported oil from teh Mideast anyway. Not enough to make a difference ifthey gave it to us free.





We are MUCH better off if we insist that the car companies start building fuel efficient cars that average at least 25 mpg instead of the current 17 mpg (a figure which they haven't changed in 25 years). That would save more oil than we'd get by drilling--and save consumers money as well.





WHEN are you neocons going to get over your fixation on ol? Its a 19th century technology that's obsolete anyway. Today's electric cars outperform gas-powered automobiles, are twice as efficient--IF your oil companies you worship are pushed out of the way and we can have a free market in energy and transportation, instead of giving them a monopoly.
i have your one good reason right here. first off, i am all in favor of drilling and wish they would get plans to do that first instead of look for more alternative energy. The drilling would get us on the right track because thats actionable. Finding alternative energy is not ';right now'; quick fix. we need a quick fix.





plan - drill now, then when we get it pumping then it's ok to do research and find alternative fuels, but thats just ignorance to fund research for 150billion dollars for how ever many years without drilling first. it's like duh?





I do not agree with harry reid on anything but i'll let him tell u why we shouldnt drill. Beware it's a crazy answer that only those on the democratic side could come up with such a stupid excuse to not drill and give bush and mccain no credit at all.





btw - stupidity at his best
';The drilling companies can have oil in less than 3 months.';





Says WHO?? No oil company has said that in any way....they have all stated that it will take years..7-10 before one drop of oil is pumped.


McCain has stated that drilling in ANWR is a 'psychological gimmick'. Scientists have determined that we will only get a max of 2 years based on our demand for oil....2 years...in 7 years from now, for the cost of a natural wildlife preserve?? Not worth it. We have plenty of places for drilling already leased and ready for pumping/setup both on and offshore....the oil companies are welcome to drill there.
Uhhh... Maybe you should ask the oil companies. They ARE sitting on over 60,000,000 acres of Federal oil leases (approved for drilling TODAY) that they're not bothering to exploit. I'd LOVE to hear their explanation but they're keeping mum on it. Oh, yeah, it's all about the MONEY. They're holding out for $200 a barrel. Silly me!





BTW, an offshore drilling platform will take about 5 years to construct, move into place, drill, and start pumping. If you wish to drill in the ANWR, make that 10 years before the first drop hits the lower 48. Where you come up with 3 months sure beats me. On land, maybe. IF there's oil. Most of the good sites have been pumped dry now, and have been for years.
They already have wells that they are not using. Think about it from a CEO standpoint. If there is more oil on the market, that means profit loss. Now the morals of a corporations is profit and shareholders. So now you as a CEO have to tell your shareholders that they will not make as much money. Republicans gave American`s industrial might to China and now they need the oil that it takes to build that might. Reagan lifted tariffs and Clinton signing the Republican NAFTA bill did not help. Conservative economics is catching up with us.
there is no need to drill any more!!!





we already have alternative forms of fuel...oil companies in the US are drilling more and more oil every day...the gas prices won't go down nearly that much if there is more oil...the arabs might cut the oil prices if this country stops messing with their freaking people!





if we keep drilling we're going to run out of oil wicked soon, than what? what will you do when there is no more oil to drill?





not to mention the fact that we will be destroying the little bit of wilderness that this world has left to enjoy...
You are thinking short range again - typical American business mentality. We have the means if we have the will to be self-reliant on energy. We have the resources to support our needs for a long time at reasonably low cost. We also have the technology to produce energy efficient machines and equipment. Then we don't have to worry about the Arabs or any OPEC countries who literally control our way of life..
I can't think of one good reason.





The democrats bleeding hearts for environment is what's stopping us. Of course none of us will be able to afford gas to get to work, but we can look at the land. Geeez people!





We could have oil tomorrow if we started drilling now. Don't let them feed you that lie.
You are hurting the earth and that isn't nice. Plus the Obamessiah (blessings upon his head) will buy us all a windmill powered car paid for by taxes on the evil rich. Those cars really blow!





Geez, do all the eco terrorist take a course in the same bull ****. A little research people. Your points are so out of touch.
It would disturb the caribou. Oh, the horror! The oil shortage is costing the country a billion dollars a day, but the ANWR caribou need not look at an oil rig. See the current issue of Newsweek for more discussion.
why would a wildcatter risk his own money and start to drill if he knows OPEC will undercut the price of oil and drive him bankrupt? It will take government guaranties to get it done. The ';free market'; wont do it.
Sorry, Im not a tree hugging, liberal so I cant think of a reason. But if I WAS one I would say that ';we might kill a worm, or a blade of grass'; or somthing stupid like that.
oil is stupid.


its the reason why we're heading for another economical depression. we should just use water, but the government wont let it happen.
You should ask the oil companies who year-after-year pay to lease 68 million acres while at the same time claiming there's no oil there.
It destroys the lang. Which we need for crops and for the animals that keep everything in balance.
there are forty million acres of land in the U.S. that has been leased for oil drilling. There is no reason not to drill on them. Drill away.
because once u drill for oil, u have permanently messed up the land and why do it when new energy sources are just around the corner?
Wrong. Additional offshore drilling takes a minimum of 4 to 5 years.
And if they did, guess what!!!








THEY WOULD STILL RAPE US IN THE PRICE OF GAS!!!





Haven't you figured that out yet??????????????????
I have one better. Let's keep our oil money here. Spend it with American companies and not the countries that hate us.
because the ony reason they want us to drill for oil, is because when they finish letting the strategic reserves dwinde, they'll order them filled before the price of oil even starts to drop. This way, tax payers will pay $150 a barrel for the oil, to refill that reserves, then they'll reign in Bush's spending, and bring the value of the dollar up, so the refineries, that are owned by the oil companies who sold the oil to the US tax payer for $150 a barrel, can buy it from the reserves for $75 a barrel.





Which means they'll be making record profits with the oil companies, and then the oil prices will come down, and the profits of the refineries wil increase, giving us the double whammy.


It is a nice little tax money funnel scam they got going on.





Supply isn't the problem. The problem is the fact that most of the oil exploration and refining capacity is owned by a handful of companies. It is the same reason gold prices are so high.....that and the nearly worthless dollar.





A trillion more barrels of oil, isn't going to increase the calue of the dollar or refining capacity, so it isn't going to lower gas prices. Oil companies have no economic incentive for building a new 40 billion dolalr refinery if they did have an economic incentive, there would have been more requests for permits to do so in the past 3 decades than just 1request to expand an existing refinery.





If our FTC regulated the London, Dubai, and Ho Chi Minh City exchanges as well as they do our own, speculation wouldn't be the greatest factor pushing oil and gas prices up past real supply/demand factors.
i say who freaking cares