Drilling in ANWR blocked. Do you support or oppose?

[Charade]

So what do we do to make it worth their while for manufacturers to use alternative fuels?

Aren't there already tax incentives for people to develope and drive these?

When alternative fuel is readily accessible in major areas, people will consider them. But I suspect that the price of these alternative fuels will be much more expensive than gas for the average consumer.That's not much of an incentive.

 

[DawnCt1]

One wonders if they discovered oil in the hills of Connecticut how enthusiastic you would be with acres of oil wells and refineries in your backyard. As long as it's somewhere far away and not directly impacting us, it's fine to destroy an enviornment. We've ignored this problem for 30 years. We guzzle more gas and waste more energy with every passing year. If we all just tried to conserve instead of waste and over use, our oil supply will be quite adequate. Everybody knows the energy drill but no one seems to be doing it. Check your home for energy leaks, consider a hybrid for your next car purchase, take public transportation if possible and maybe walk a little more. It doesn't take much to make a difference if we all do it. Our kids and grandkids might just thank us.

When I saw the size of the drills in Barbados, you could put it in my back yard. In fact, nothing would delight be more than to be sitting on a huge oil reserve! With modern oil recovering, "destroying the environment" is a myth. I think most home owners check for leaks, turn off lights, etc. The cost of energy, even when it was cheaper, is always a motivating factor. Not everyone lives in a public transportation area. Walking to get a gallon of milk is not possible or practical where I live. We depend upon oil for cosmetics, cleaning products, plastics, etc. It isn't just about gasoline.

 

[Galahad]

Aren't there already tax incentives for people to develope and drive these?

When alternative fuel is readily accessible in major areas, people will consider them. But I suspect that the price of these alternative fuels will be much more expensive than gas for the average consumer.That's not much of an incentive.

But at some point the scarcity becomes less structural and more contrived. VCR's were very expensive at one point too. Hybrids are more common and fuel cell cars aren't that far off - for those with enough money. But there isn't a structural reason for how long it's taking to bring more of them on line - it's a "market" issue.

Energy independence seems a key security issue - as important as boots on the ground where the terrorists are and as important as secure borders. getting more of our own oil is part of being independent, but it must NOT be a cornerstone. Getting to new fuels must be a much more tangible goal.

 

[Charade]

One wonders if they discovered oil in the hills of Connecticut how enthusiastic you would be with acres of oil wells and refineries in your backyard. As long as it's somewhere far away and not directly impacting us, it's fine to destroy an enviornment. We've ignored this problem for 30 years. We guzzle more gas and waste more energy with every passing year. If we all just tried to conserve instead of waste and over use, our oil supply will be quite adequate. Everybody knows the energy drill but no one seems to be doing it. Check your home for energy leaks, consider a hybrid for your next car purchase, take public transportation if possible and maybe walk a little more. It doesn't take much to make a difference if we all do it. Our kids and grandkids might just thank us.

I have to disagree. We use more because there are more of us using it. Our homes and cars are MUCH more efficient than they were 50 years ago. Some older homes didn't even have much in the way of insulation because oil was so cheap.

 

[Galahad]

When I saw the size of the drills in Barbados, you could put it in my back yard. In fact, nothing would delight be more than to be sitting on a huge oil reserve! .

There are dozens of small free standing oil wells all over northern Indiana. The "rigs" are quite small and you have to be looking for them to find them.

 

[Gary M]

I would be interested to know what type of vehicle those that oppose drilling in ANWAR drive. Do you take public transportation? Do you walk or ride a bicycle most palces? Do you carpool?

I live in corn country and they are trying to build ethanol plants near where I live. The old not in my backyard screams are being heard.

I lived through the period in the '60's where JFK made an all out effort to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade and it worked. Our politicians need the same kind of challenge about alternative fuels being developed. It appears to much oil money is involved in politics for a change.

 

[scubamouse]

Any alternative drilling sites you can recommend or support?

This is worth considering along w/lots of effort on alternative sources.

Supposedly now that the cost of drilling/refining crude oil is so high, the cost of extracting oil from shale deposits is being reviewed again. I read that there are huge deposits of this IN the US and they would yield a whole lot of oil. More than what in the middle east they say.

I questions whether there really is more oil than in the middle east but the technology is definitely available to extract oil from shale.

One wonders if they discovered oil in the hills of Connecticut how enthusiastic you would be with acres of oil wells and refineries in your backyard. As long as it's somewhere far away and not directly impacting us, it's fine to destroy an enviornment. We've ignored this problem for 30 years. We guzzle more gas and waste more energy with every passing year. If we all just tried to conserve instead of waste and over use, our oil supply will be quite adequate. Everybody knows the energy drill but no one seems to be doing it. Check your home for energy leaks, consider a hybrid for your next car purchase, take public transportation if possible and maybe walk a little more. It doesn't take much to make a difference if we all do it. Our kids and grandkids might just thank us.

nodding!! the reason there isn't drilling in the lower 48 is the same reason yucca mtn can't get done as a radioactive repository ... drill and dump away as long as its ....

not in my backyard!

 

[Galahad]

I have to disagree. We use more because there are more of us using it. Our homes and cars are MUCH more efficient than they were 50 years ago. Some older homes didn't even have much in the way of insulation because oil was so cheap.

Only partially true of cars. The method of determining efficiency for cars is so inaccurate as to be a joke.

 

[Charade]

Only partially true of cars. The method of determining efficiency for cars is so inaccurate as to be a joke.

Figuring out how efficient a car is has many variables but should be easy to calculate over a broad sample. You have to start somewhere.

 

[scubamouse]

I would be interested to know what type of vehicle those that oppose drilling in ANWAR drive. Do you take public transportation? Do you walk or ride a bicycle most palces?

we have a fuel efficient sedan (not hybrid) and a small station wagon. our next car will be a hybrid. we commute on the train everyday and walk the mile to the station instead of driving. we keep our thermostats high in the summer and low in the winter and dress accordingly. we do that because i'm cheap

how about you?

 

[caitycaity]

I would be interested to know what type of vehicle those that oppose drilling in ANWAR drive. Do you take public transportation? Do you walk or ride a bicycle most palces?

yes, actually i do. i only need to fill my car up every 2-3 weeks because i hardly drive it. i primarily take it when i am going shopping and anticipate a large haul.

though i realize that in many areas it is not possible to use public transportation or walk, i grew up with a mom who walked to the grocery store (about 2 miles away and no sidewalks) - and that was 20 years ago. my parents (and i) really practice what they preach on this front.

 

[AllyandJack]

Aren't there 2 different types of crude oil? One is light, sweet and the other is heavy, sour and our refineries can only process the light, sweet. There is a bunch of the heavy, sour crude around, but we can't refine it and use it.

I'm not exactly an expert, but wouldn't it make sense to build refineries to use the heavy, sour stuff??

I'm just going by what I hear and read....I'm not an expert.

 

[CheshireVal]

I would be interested to know what type of vehicle those that oppose drilling in ANWAR drive. Do you take public transportation? Do you walk or ride a bicycle most palces? Do you carpool?

I drive a tiny little car that gets 38 mpg. I live 8 miles from work, but there is no public transit to get me there.

 

[Chicago526]

Dem and I oppose. Even if A) all the oil is there that they think is there and B) the oil companies live up to their promiss about little or now impact to the enviroment, it still doesn't decrease our dependancy on foreign oil OR lower the price we pay at the pump.

So why take the chance since there is minimal bennifit?

Oh, I drive a Saturn and get on average of about 25 MPG. DH drives a truck, but takes the train to/from work everyday. We only use it on the weekends when we have to go to Home Depot.

 

[eclectics]

I have to disagree. We use more because there are more of us using it. Our homes and cars are MUCH more efficient than they were 50 years ago. Some older homes didn't even have much in the way of insulation because oil was so cheap.

Yes, there are more of us and that statistic isn't going down. All the more reason to explore and fund research of alternative fuels. Even if we drilled every inch we could, the earth will eventually dry out. I agree that we are not as carefree about energy use as we were say in the 60's, but we still waste energy at a alarming rate. And the 1995-2005 trend in Detroit to build bigger and bigger and our willingness to purchase these behemouths shows energy conservation is not on the top of our list. I think maybe now with more hybrids and smaller SUV's the tide might be turning. I live in a old house as you describe. I put in new energy efficient windows and siding. If you can't afford it, even those plastic window kits and some clear tape around cracks work wonders. We like to think everyone does all the little things common sense suggests, but I guarantee you, a lot don't. Dawn states a big problem are the factories making our products. She suggests writing our elected officials about drilling. I suggest we write to some Industry CEO's and ask them to take a look into cutting their fossil fuel energy use with some conservation measures and alternative sources. I still say if we all do our bit, we can cut our energy needs.

 

[brerrabbit]

Conservative, not really Republican because I don't agree with half of what Bush is doing. I support drilling in the ANWR. I work for a major oil company in the Chemical division. I understand people's reluctance to drill there but at the same time those same people are yelling a screaming about oil and gas prices and oil company executives are being called to Washington to answer for record earnings. You cannot have it both ways. The implied battle cry you here the most is "I want cheap oil and gas, and by the way you have to produce it without drilling oil wells where the stuff is and without building any new refineries" Logically, how do you do this? I watched the hearings yesterday and everyone of the executives there answered that the biggest problem they face in producing more oil and gas in the US is access. They can't drill in ANWR, they can't drill OCS, they have to go through more than four years of permitting to build a new refinery. Yet dispite all these barriers they are now being threatened with windfall profit taxes. This dispite the fact that the average earnings for oil companies over the last ten years have been below the national average for every other type of business. And believe me a windfall profit tax on oil companies will only raise the prices for everyone.

Hang on to your beliefs and oppose new drilling in certain areas. Just be willing to shell out more money for oil and gas because this is a problem that aint going away.

 

[Chicago526]

Conservative, not really Republican because I don't agree with half of what Bush is doing. I support drilling in the ANWR. I work for a major oil company in the Chemical division. I understand people's reluctance to drill there but at the same time those same people are yelling a screaming about oil and gas prices and oil company executives are being called to Washington to answer for record earnings. You cannot have it both ways. The implied battle cry you here the most is "I want cheap oil and gas, and by the way you have to produce it without drilling oil wells where the stuff is and without building any new refineries" Logically, how do you do this? I watched the hearings yesterday and everyone of the executives there answered that the biggest problem they face in producing more oil and gas in the US is access. They can't drill in ANWR, they can't drill OCS, they have to go through more than four years of permitting to build a new refinery. Yet dispite all these barriers they are now being threatened with windfall profit taxes. This dispite the fact that the average earnings for oil companies over the last ten years have been below the national average for every other type of business. And believe me a windfall profit tax on oil companies will only raise the prices for everyone.

Hang on to your beliefs and oppose new drilling in certain areas. Just be willing to shell out more money for oil and gas because this is a problem that aint going away.

I can only speak for myself, of course, but I'm not screaming for cheaper gas! I think it's too cheap, if it cost more, it would force individuals, corporations, and governments to work for better public transporation and alternitive fuels.

 

[DisneyDotty]

I oppose the drilling.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we took all the $$ we're spending on searching/drilling for new oil fields and put it into alternative fuel exploration? The amount of oil on this earth is finite. We need to use other fuel sources now.
I drive a manual transmission car; my husband drives a hybrid. Why doesn't our government require every auto manufacturer that does business in the US to produce two or more hybrids? Not only do hybrids offer better mileage but also emit less pollution.

 

[Puffy2]

I think it's more important, much more important, to focus on developing new forms of energy and converting our system in the US from one of oil dependence to one of "something else" - also, I think that the US needs to get serious about public mass transportation (China is huge and they have this pretty well figured out.)

The drilling in Anwar is a TEMPORARY STALL (something that politicans love because the only care they have about the future is for as long as they are in office or will be seeking reelection) - it is not a fix of the bigger problem.

 

[KarenC]

I think ANWR is a bit of a red herring. I oppose drilling there mostly because it won't do a bit of good toward solving our long term energy needs. While no one knows for sure, the estimates I've seen indicate about a six month supply of crude oil based on our current consumption.