I have to say that so far I’ve not been too impressed with the idea of drilling for oil in the U.S itself. The fact that such oil would take years (apparently) to make any difference on the market, that the amount of oil that would be released from such drilling and the destruction of the wilderness areas that the oil lies under all seem to suggest to me that its more of a ‘let’s look like we’re doing something’ measure rather than any sort of intelligent policy….
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chad eiland | 06-Dec-08 at 4:05 am | Permalink
I do have to agree with you that it would take a very long time for drilling to make any difference at all. On the other hand though, with so many things in our daily lives using the different kinds of oil it could be very beneficial for us to drill so that in the future we can be a little bit more stable until we can find a safe alternative fuel that is not going to hurt us in the long run. Just right now we are using oil in vehicles, heating homes, making electricity and also it takes oil for toner cartridges. The need for these items is just going to go up. Ethanol is a good choice to use for an alternative fuel but the problem is that it uses grain to make the fuel. Using too much grain will just bring the world to another grain shortage.
This is an assignment for my class. After we finished writing our final papers we were suppose to write on somebody’s blog, write the editor or get an online magazine to publish the paper. If you have any feedback on how I could make my comment anymore powerful please tell.
John | 06-Dec-08 at 12:23 pm | Permalink
I suppose the main things I would ask you about your comment dude is whether oil is really the answer.. Generally speaking, it is assumed that the oil that we have been able to get at is the easiest oil to get at. Things like drilling for oil in the areas in Alaska or in the Tar Pits in Canada have not been done so far because they are difficult to get at – in the case of the Canadian tar pits for example, while you could get at the tar, extracting useful material from it is quite expensive. This means that the oil that will be extracted from these areas will only be extracted for those that can afford it, namely governments or rich individuals. The benefits will not really go to the ‘common man’ so to speak. Therefore, this talk of extracting cheap oil from these spots
John | 06-Dec-08 at 12:28 pm | Permalink
‘for later use’ as it were is somewhat misleading. Basically, the current means of generating energy that we have is unsustainable in the long run. In that case, we should be moving towards as many forms of alternative as possible and enabling ‘dual use’ systems for a while, as in having both oil-based energy and alternatives running together so that we can work out the kinks in the alternatives rather that having to try and convert suddenly. Frankly, the amount of time/energy/expense that trying to get that last bit of oil out would probably be better spent somewhere else IMO…