Originally posted on RedGreenandBlue.org on 10/4/08

5 reasons not to drill for oil off our nation’s shores:

1) Renewables and Alternative Fuels–It is a distraction from the dire need to promote renewables and move to a clean, energy independent future.
2) Short Term Solution–We live in a country that has 4.5% of the world’s population and uses 25% of the world’s oil. Any oil found would simply be a short term solution. The time and money spent searching and drilling would be better spent promoting renewable energy and alternative fuels.
3) Price at the Pump–We wouldn’t save at the pump for about a decade, and even then the savings would be only a few cents.
4) Marine Life–Drilling offshore would negatively impact delicate marine ecosystems. Plus, the US government recently calculated there was a 33-51% chance of a major spill in the lifetime of an offshore oil and gas lease in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska. Thems not good odds!
5) Climate Change–As Jerry James Stone said in a comment in his recent Red Green and Blue article “the offshore solution does not address our climate crisis. We would still be burning the same amount of fossil fuel, and that is BAD!”

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