Oil, the REAL Problem.

Calabrio

Calabrio

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US Has Enough Reserves to Be #1 Oil Producer in the World

The US has enough reserves to be the #1 oil producer in the world.

** The Rocky Mountains contain three times the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. (From NPR)

So why is America NOT energy independent?
Because, over the past 30 years:

Democrats have blocked the development of new sources of petroleum.
Democrats have blocked drilling in ANWR.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the coast of Florida.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the east coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the west coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast.
Democrats have blocked building oil refineries.
Democrats have blocked clean nuclear energy production.
Democrats have blocked clean coal production.

Democrats sold out to environmentalists.
Democrats set up "No Zones" where they will not allow drilling or development:
no+zones.jpg

(Republican Senator Craig put together these maps)
As Americans pay more for gas than ever under this Congress--
Democrats continue to vote against drilling and oil exploration.

Instead, Democrats believe taxing and suing oil companies will somehow bring down gas prices.

And, democrats do this as Cuba and China drill off our shores.
china+drilling.jpg

Democrats like to attack evil American oil companies and block them from drilling off our coasts. It doesn't seem to bother them when China starts drilling for oil in these same areas 50 miles from Key West.

America may have enough reserves to be the #1 oil producer in the world...
But it isn't.
You can thank the Democrats.
Click to expand...
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/06/us-has-enough-reserves-to-be-1-oil.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Drill, Coast Haste
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY |
Posted Friday, May 23, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Energy Security: With the prospect of an oil shortage and $12 gas, the energy crisis is turning into a national emergency. One solution: Give states the option to develop offshore tracts.

Uncle Sam bans states from drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and eastern Gulf mainly to protect the environment. Some 85% of the U.S. coastline is off-limits to energy production — including huge reserves off Florida's coast, which China is exploiting in Cuban waters.

To change that, a lawmaker is offering a novel idea. Rep. Sue Myrick of the House Energy and Commerce panel wants to let coastal states decide whether drilling is environmentally risky. She has introduced a bill that would give coastal states that want offshore drilling the power to opt out of the Interior Department's offshore restrictions.

And as a powerful incentive, Myrick, R-N.C., proposes cutting them (and adjacent states) in on the federal revenues from leases. Washington now collects as much as $8 billion a year in existing Gulf royalties, a figure that would balloon as coastal regions opened for exploration.

Her Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act would give states the ability to control energy production up to 100 miles off their shores and would extend their territorial waters.

The biggest energy finds are off Florida's coast. But the state's congressional delegation in Washington has almost single-handedly kept the national drilling moratorium in effect for the past 25 years — while keeping potentially millions of additional barrels a day of supply off the market.

That was when gas prices were $2 a gallon or less. They've since doubled, and now threaten to hurt Florida's tourism industry. The governor, fearing high pump prices will spook tourists, is trying to slash the state's gas tax.

Tallahassee also faces big budget deficits from a statewide recession, and may warm up to the federal revenue-sharing idea. Under Myrick's bill, state legislatures can vote to end federal restrictions and allow drilling.

But the bill faces major hurdles. Even if Myrick can get the House panel's Democrat chair, Rep. John Dingell, to take it up, it would face stiff opposition in the Senate. Florida Sens. Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson have blocked previous attempts to lift the ban on drilling — although Martinez, a Republican, lately has shown signs of softening.

Foes have successfully cloaked their arguments against offshore drilling in eco-apocalypse, claim it will lead to oil spills. Fearing tar-ball-pocked beaches, the tourism industry has joined the greens in lobbying against such bills.

Their fears are unfounded. And politicians concerned about America's energy security ought to do a better job educating the public with the facts. For example:

• Less than one one-thousandth of a percent (0.001%) of the 7 billion-plus barrels of oil that Washington has allowed to be produced offshore over the past 25 years has been spilled, according to the Interior Department.

• A whopping 63% of petro pollution in North American seas comes not from offshore rigs, but from natural seepage from the sea floor. Source: National Academy of Sciences.

• There hasn't been a major oil spill from an offshore well since 1969 even though rigs since then have been lashed by Katrina and other major hurricanes.

Today's drilling operations are safer and cleaner. Offshore operators are subject to at least 17 major permits and must follow 90 sets of federal regulations. Clean beaches can coexist with offshore production. The mammoth reserves can be captured with little risk to the environment.

In fact, the government estimates that 50% of our undiscovered oil lies offshore. It's time to let states go after it.
 
Uh - now why do you only blame the democrats?

McCain I believe has said he is against drilling in ANWR -

And, let me restate what I have said many times. Bush had a republican controlled congress for 6 years and seemingly could push all kinds of other legislation through during that time. Why not all this drilling your talking about?

Don't get me wrong. I think we should drill anywhere oil might be.

Not only for the sake of gas prices, but also because I hate giving the middle east all this easy money when all they do with it is plot to terrorize.

Also - whatever happened to Iraqi oil being used to pay for the reconstruction? I think we should take enough oil to cover our costs in Iraq at least.

Again, I think we should drill anywhere we can possibly drill. But we should also heavily invest in other things, like refinaries, other sources of energy (wind, solar, nuclear, etc) as well as focus hard on development of new sources such as hydrogen and more efficient ways to use the oil we have.

But let's not make this out to be all a problem created by the democrats - thats just not true.
 
McCain is a RINO - a not-so-closet Democrat. I don't count him as a conservative. You can take that for what it's worth.

Bush, to his credit (not that you'd ever acknowledge this), pushed really hard in 2005 for an ANWR bill, which passed the House and failed the Senate BY ONE VOTE. Just to set the record straight.
 
I know bush did.

But while Bush has ramrodded many things through, or ignored congress altogether on some issues. Yet he cant get any drilling done.
 
Joeychgo said:
And, let me restate what I have said many times. Bush had a republican controlled congress for 6 years and seemingly could push all kinds of other legislation through during that time. Why not all this drilling your talking about?
Click to expand...

Again, I have shown repeatedly on this forum that the fact that Bush had a Congress that was of the same party is hardly anywhere near as strong a factor as you claim. Different voter bases, lobbyists, term limits, constitutional powers, institutional focus of each branch, lack of accountability, Presidents working relationship with Congress (or lack thereof), etc. all work to keep Congress and the President politically at odds. You keep ignoring those factors and placing way to much emphasis on the fact that Bush and Congress were of the same political party for 6 years. Merely a fallacious proof by assertion argument.
 
Are you saying it was the democrats that kept all the drilling from happening?
 
SO bush had a republican controlled congress for 6 years - but SOMEHOW - no republicans were involved in keeping the drilling from happening?
 
Joey. Pay attention.

The last time this was attempted, here's what happened.

In 2005 the House passed a bill opening up ANWR. The Democrats in the Senate filibustered the bill, and you need 60 votes for cloture. The Republicans voted 56-44 for cloture, not enough. The split was along party lines.
http://www.usembassy.at/en/download/pdf/anwr.pdf

You CAN'T do anything in the Senate without 60 votes.

Understand?
 
http://uk.reuters.com/article/pressReleases/idUKN1248232220080612

Exxon to exit retail gas business: reports
Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:55pm BST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is getting out of retail gas business, according to the Dallas Morning News and Fox Business News.

Exxon was not immediately available to comment on the news.

The Dallas Morning News reported Exxon said it will sell the 2,220 service stations it still owns across the United States. There are 12,000 Exxon Mobil branded stations, the majority of which are already owned by families or companies outside of Exxon. (Reporting by Edward Tobin; Editing by Gary Hill)
 
shagdrum said:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/pressReleases/idUKN1248232220080612

Exxon to exit retail gas business: reports
Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:55pm BST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is getting out of retail gas business, according to the Dallas Morning News and Fox Business News.

Exxon was not immediately available to comment on the news, but John Galt was seen leaving the headquarters building shortly before the announcement.

The Dallas Morning News reported Exxon said it will sell the 2,220 service stations it still owns across the United States. There are 12,000 Exxon Mobil branded stations, the majority of which are already owned by families or companies outside of Exxon. (Reporting by Edward Tobin; Editing by Gary Hill)
Click to expand...
Fixed it for you.
 
Joeychgo said:
Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5111184



McCain flip flopped on this issue a bit today. Now he's in favor of allowing drilling offshore
Click to expand...
He should be flip flopping. The whole damned Congress should be belly flopping all over this issue right now. They were all wrong for the last 30 years, and the chickens are coming home to roost. If they don't get on the right side of this, we're all sunk, and McCain is starting to see the handwriting on the wall.

/cliched rant
 
If the GOP takes the lead on this, the DNC could lose control of both houses and the white house in November.
 
Ah -- Even Bill O'Reily is coming around a bit. It's a rare occasion that I agree with him, but I do, on all points.


GEORGE W. BUSH: So my administration has repeatedly called on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal, and now Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction.​


Bill O'Reily:
Mr. Bush and now John McCain are calling for expanded oil drilling in America, while the Democrats and Barack Obama say no. So who is correct?

Well, "Talking Points" has said for years it's simply foolish not to drill in ANWR, a desolate place that can be kept largely pristine with new technology. Not to use this resource is crazy.

By the way, Senator McCain disagrees with me.

Drilling offshore and in the Rockies is more complicated. The states of Florida and Colorado depend almost entirely on tourism. Any drilling in those states would have to be controlled and noninvasive.

In short, we should explore and be responsible in our drilling strategy, not emotional and ideological. But again, the USA can't drill out of this mess, and there are other solutions.

What about Iraq? So far, the American taxpayer has forked over more than $500 billion — $500 billion — to give the Iraqi people a chance at freedom. That country's now pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil a day. So why isn't Iraq giving the USA an oil price break? I mean, come on. We have greatly sacrificed for that country. Shouldn't they help us out if they can? What say you, President Bush?

Then there are the speculators we talked about Tuesday night. Congress could control them with stricter oversight, but Congress just sits around. Listen to Ben Stein who appeared on "The Radio Factor" Wednesday.


BEN STEIN: I was just in a room with a whole bunch of speculators who are former Enron traders that are now trading natural gas and oil. And they're laughing their heads off about how much they're manipulating the price of oil. They couldn't care less.​


Well, let's make them care. Tough new standards should be imposed on the speculative oil market because this is a national security issue.

Finally, flex-fuel vehicles should be fast-tracked. Again, Congress must mandate a certain percentage of U.S.-made cars use alcohol-based fuels, at least in part. It's the only way the market's going to change. Millions of flex-fuel cars will force gas stations to install alternative energy pumps.

Both Obama and McCain have deficits when it comes to solving the oil mess, but the first one to get on the side of the folks in this issue will win the election.

And that's "The Memo."
Click to expand...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,369005,00.html
 
"Finally, flex-fuel vehicles should be fast-tracked. Again, Congress must mandate a certain percentage of U.S.-made cars use alcohol-based fuels, at least in part. It's the only way the market's going to change. Millions of flex-fuel cars will force gas stations to install alternative energy pumps."

Sorry, Congress and the government should get the hell out of the way and let the private market take care of things. Get rid of all the government intervention and burden on businesses and let the entrepreneurial spirit of America move us to the next plateau.

Good grief. All the nannies that want government to control their lives. Get some balls and control your own destiny.
 
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