Bush Calls for Easing Offshore Drilling Restrictions

[nycbusdriver]

The outrageous and quick runup in the price of oil has left many of us common folk stunned. The price just skyrocketed and has remained incredibly high now for long enough that it appears not to be a bubble. It seems odd that this could have happened seemingly overnight with the explanation that world demand is the reason. Okay, but that quickly?

So today Bush called for easing the restrictions on drilling offshore. (He's on record being against those restrictions, but has been unable to make Congress budge.)

I had been wondering all along when the answer to the puzzle of why the high oil prices, and today Bush answered my question.

Bush and his oil industry cronies have devised the artificially high price ploy to force the hand of Congress by inflicting financial pain and suffering on the voters. Congress will now likely be deluged by letters demanding that the drilling restrictions be lifted, and Congress will give in. The second the restrictions are lifted, the price will magically drop.

If you can't get what you want by normal efforts, you create a crisis designed to get it clandestinely. It's a tried and true method used by governments throughout the ages. And the general population, never ever seeming to catch on to the dirty trick, plays right into their hands every time.

 

[KCFlyer]

As long as Jeb's not governor anymore they can drill. The pres's own brother didn't want the drilling off the shores of his state. I guess they can rename the Destin/Fort Walton/Panama City stretch from the Emerald coast to the goo coast.

 

[delldude]

You didn't take notice of 'W's getting the Arabs to "kick it up a notch"?
Like 900,000 a day?

Bush and his oil industry cronies have devised the artificially high price ploy to force the hand of Congress by inflicting financial pain and suffering on the voters. Congress will now likely be deluged by letters demanding that the drilling restrictions be lifted, and Congress will give in. The second the restrictions are lifted, the price will magically drop.

Funny...I didn't realize there was a world vote for US Prez....

All the while you drive the ultimate gas guzzler and pollute the upper atmosphere at $150/hour?

Dude...you need to pee in a bottle if you really fly planes.....

 

[KCFlyer]

You didn't take notice of 'W's getting the Arabs to "kick it up a notch"?
Like 900,000 a day?

Considering that at America's daily consumption, that would gain us about one HOUR of energy, I gotta say "big whup".

 

[Seatacus]

Does anybody else have a plan to reduce the cost of energy or reduce our dependency on foreign oil? Drilling our own oil is probably a good start.........

 

[KCFlyer]

Does anybody else have a plan to reduce the cost of energy or reduce our dependency on foreign oil? Drilling our own oil is probably a good start.........

Yes...conservation. But it's a dirty word to Americans who don't want to admit that their own demand is part of the reason for the high gas prices.

 

[Redbird]

Yes...conservation. But it's a dirty word to Americans who don't want to admit that their own demand is part of the reason for the high gas prices.

No surprise.. we don't agree again.

True, we can not drill our way to independence but we also can not conserve our way to energy independence, especially when many of the cards are taken off the table (coal, shale, nukes).

Yes, we need to conserve and it is apparent we are doing that from the stats on recent driving. But this country is NOT Europe. We do not have the climate for one thing.

I keep reading that x will not produce energy for 10 yrs. But time is not going to stop. I hear Obama say that McCain 2000 would be an interesting debate with McCain 2008 as if time and the world has stopped. That was then.. this is now and if we don't start doing something about using the resources WE HAVE while looking for more resources for the future, we are going to become static and MORE dependent on energy resources controlled by others.

Were not it so serious, Obama's rhetoric about most issues would be laughable. As is, it is somewhere between frightening and sad.

 

[KCFlyer]

No surprise.. we don't agree again.

True, we can not drill our way to independence but we also can not conserve our way to energy independence, especially when many of the cards are taken off the table (coal, shale, nukes).

Yes, we need to conserve and it is apparent we are doing that from the stats on recent driving. But this country is NOT Europe. We do not have the climate for one thing.

So let's put the cards back on the table, and incent conservation...tax credits for vehicles getting over 30mpg and stiff taxes on vehicles getting under 20mpg. It's not going to lower gas prices...neither will drilling off the coast or ANWR. But Americans are adaptable...after a year or so of $4 a gallon gas...if it "drops" to $3, they'll be another run on Hummers and Expeditions. Disincent them from buying those, drill oil, mine coal and build nukes. Without conservation, opening up everything will be for naught. You're right...we can't drill or conserve our way to energy independence...it takes both.

 

[Seatacus]

Yes...conservation. But it's a dirty word to Americans who don't want to admit that their own demand is part of the reason for the high gas prices.

Conserving is good but if we reduce our demand and China and India increase theirs (which will happen)couldn't the global demand be just as high?

I think that even the threat of drilling our own oil would be enough to urge our foreign suppliers to drop prices.

 

[KCFlyer]

Conserving is good but if we reduce our demand and China and India increase theirs (which will happen)couldn't the global demand be just as high?

I think that even the threat of drilling our own oil would be enough to urge our foreign suppliers to drop prices.

With increasing demand from China and India, wouldn't they be a sweet market for our newly drilled oil?

 

[delldude]

With increasing demand from China and India, wouldn't they be a sweet market for our newly drilled oil?

Quit buying all the plastic....

 

[Redbird]

So let's put the cards back on the table, and incent conservation...tax credits for vehicles getting over 30mpg and stiff taxes on vehicles getting under 20mpg. It's not going to lower gas prices...neither will drilling off the coast or ANWR. But Americans are adaptable...after a year or so of $4 a gallon gas...if it "drops" to $3, they'll be another run on Hummers and Expeditions. Disincent them from buying those, drill oil, mine coal and build nukes. Without conservation, opening up everything will be for naught. You're right...we can't drill or conserve our way to energy independence...it takes both.

I think in many ways the market is already 'incenting' people with the cost of operating some equipment. Not completely. Although I have long used cruise control and backed down to around 60mph a while back, I still see people going by as if gas were $1.00/gal.. and in what must be somewhat of an oxymoron, I keep seeing PRIUSs go by doing at least 80. AND I still see people blasting from red light to red light. Of course, this is ATL where the ONLY time anyone drives the speed limit is when they are slowing down to run the stop signs.

You are right that if gas goes down there will be some increase in speed but the gloss is off the big machines for now. Sales are bad and there again, the market is providing the incentives.

And while we do agree on this issue of using our resources, you do not represent many on the left who have one button, "NO!" regardless. And the argument that we can do nothing now because some silver bullet is just around the corner AND that it will take 10 yrs to produce results defies logic. The longer we wait to improve our position, one can assume the MORE dependent we become and the worse our plight.

 

[KCFlyer]

and in what must be somewhat of an oxymoron, I keep seeing PRIUSs go by doing at least 80.

I drive a Prius. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the Prius doing 80 was also getting about 42 mpg. On winter gas.

The longer we wait to improve our position, one can assume the MORE dependent we become and the worse our plight.

And the more oil we drill today provides less incentive to develop alternative sources. That's the catch 22...why bother...we have oil. The ones who use the "silver bullet" theory are those that propose using all the oil we have as fast as we can (if they aren't willing to alter behaviours) because "we landed a man on the moon in 10 years, we can develop alternative sources".

And I disagree about the impact gas prices lowering to even $3 a gallon would have. Remember when gas was about a buck and a half? When it went to $2.50, there was outrage...then it settled in at $2 and we loved that the price was lower....enough to demand bigger SUV's. In the past, we have watched oil prices rocket up, then settle back to a postion 50 to 75 cents higher than what the had been...The impact was an surge in SUV purchases because gas was once again "cheap". IMHO, $3 was the point where gas prices started to have some impact. If gas settles back to that level, my guess is that there are a lot of SUV's in peoples futures.

 

[delldude]

I think the day of the big SUV is quickly fading into the sunset.Detroit is dumping most of their entire lines.

On another front:

Sell the Prius

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

KCFlyer;

IMHO..."this" last post of yours....Rates up there in "Your TOP TEN",(and being closer to "5"..than.."10") !!!!!!!