At the 2008 Republican National Convention John McCain, Sarah Palin, and the Republican National Committee all assured us that it was perfectly safe to open up more of our Coastal Waters and even some of our National Parks to additional oil drilling. Drill baby Drill was the chant as the crowd went absolutely wild and big oil executives smiled!
Which is why I suppose environmentalists everywhere cheered when the Republicans lost the election later that same year. Their victory was short-lived, however, as it was later to be revealed that big oil may have actually won anyway.
President Bush had tried for years and years to expand oil drilling off the coast of Florida.
President Obama seems to have accomplished it in less than 15 months.
And now less than three weeks after President Obama's announcement, This Happens...
That's Right, "Tragedy in the Gulf" - when 11 Men Die in an Oil Rig Explosion off the Coasts of Louisiana and Florida. This as we were being assured that modern technology had made such drilling Virtually Safe and Risk Free.
As the oil rig eventually sinks. BP officials, the US Coast Guard, and the administration are all once again assuring us that despite the unfortunate loss of life an environmental disaster has been averted because no oil is leaking from the sunken rig.
Then just a few days later, this happens...
Then just a few days later, this happens...
Officials reveal that last week’s oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico has created a Catastrophic Oil Spill. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the sunken Deepwater Horizon oil rig is now leaking an average of a 42,000 gallons of crude oil per day. BP, which leased Deepwater Horizon from Transocean LTD, is working to clean up the mess, which poses a major threat to the fragile Gulf ecosystem. An area that is used as a source for over 40% of America's seafood.
Not to mention the fact that the spill is just days away from coming ashore on the Florida and Louisiana coastlines.
Not to mention the fact that the spill is just days away from coming ashore on the Florida and Louisiana coastlines.
Did you know that China is actually the world leader in researching Wind, Solar, Hydrogen and Other Alternative Energy Resources.
Just Thinking
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although i am EXTREMELY uncomfortable w/the prospects of off-shore drilling, there exists technology which would, i understand, make it possible for foreign companies to do so using angular apparatus from outside our international waters borders. perhaps this decision is a sort of pre-emptive strike in regards to that. i hope these recent events will give everyone pause.
ReplyDeleteA pre-emptive strike to prevent angular drilling?
ReplyDeleteThat's remarkably similar to the rationale most recently used by Sarah Palin.
It's also consistent with the arguments that were being used by by George W. Bush and then John McCain during a 2008 presidential debate. An argument that was completely rejected by then candidate Obama.
Most major military and diplomatic experts agree that no nation or company for that matter, would dare try such a breach of territorial sovereignty, lest they risk a major international incident, and/or perhaps even war.
Besides, it seems as though you've missed the main point of my blog post which is that they're lying about the safety and reliability of the technology. And that, most importantly, we need to invest more heavily in the pursuit of alternative energy sources.