Obama permits off-shore oil drilling

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Reversing a ban on oil drilling off most U.S. shores, President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced an expansive new policy that could put new oil and natural gas platforms in waters along the southern Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and part of Alaska.

A welcome and astonishing decision. It makes me rethink my view about Obama.

A good and necessary decision,yes. But at a cost.
Seems basically a stop gap measure, regretably necessary ,at this point.
Hopefully we will not rest on our laurels as has been our past inclination.

What's the cost? And why is it regrettable?

I think we must be very careful as far as our environment is concerned. Our future hopefully will continue to place a high value on this.

It is regrettable that we have waited so long to develop alternative sources of energy, that we still need to make choices that will impact our environment so heavily.

Oil is a messy business, I am seeing it daily here in western Kansas.

What's the cost? And why is it regrettable?

What makes you think, I wonder, that we can discover alternative sources at a reasonable price? There is no evidence for it. Nor is there any evidence that even if we can that we would discover enough so that we would not need more oil anyway.

I have little doubt that the price will be high ,at first anyway. We have come a long way along the road to renewable resourses. I do think the time has come to increase our efforts. The price must be paid at some point, why should we be selfish enough to force it onto the shoulders of our progeny.

Oil will run out, that is a fact. Coal will continue to be an environmental nuisance, apparent fact.

At what point do we take responsibility for our children's future.

Your post does not answer the question why you think we have the technology you think we need. And I doubt that even if we do, we'll find private industry willing to do what it takes unless it is profitable. So, I suppose you are expecting the federal government to do it. Another step toward serfdom. By the way, we already have the technology to help do what you want, namely nuclear power. But, the environmentalists are going to raise a stink about that too. Just as, by the way, they do about windmills.

By the way, people keep predicting the end of oil as we discover new vast oil fields in Brazil, and off-shore. Another case of crying "wolf".

We are developing better solar technology as we speak. I agree that private industry needs to make a profit, the government is not responsible for developing new technologies.
Somehow we must find a way to make this profitable, after all "The consumer speaks. It is the responsibility of the public to make the necessary sacrifices to ease the burden on our progeny.

I sometimes fish in the cooling lake of a nuclear facility, I am amazed at the lack of impact one observes. Of course there is the issue of waste, which at least can be collected and stored safely, while coal waste is simply diffused into the environment.

Given our earths finite nature, oil will run out, and these problems will have to be solved sooner or later. We might discover oil on the moon , yet the resource is finite still.

This sounds like, "the audacity of hope" which heats no houses. And, you are neglecting "the fierce urgency of now", remember that!

I believe ken disagrees, and stated that the matter is, in fact, urgent.

Although that's just an interpretation.

Rush Limbaugh said something to the effect that he is intentionally seeking favor by announcing support for a policy that he strongly believes has no chance of being put into effect.

I believe ken disagrees, and stated that the matter is, in fact, urgent.

Although that's just an interpretation.

Rush Limbaugh said something to the effect that he is intentionally seeking favor by announcing support for a policy that he strongly believes has no chance of being put into effect.

I truly hope they will take Alaska off the list. I think it should remain the jewel of America ,if at all possible.

What makes you think it will not remain a jewel even if there is drilling?

We are obviously getting better at preventing errors that cause damage.
But, accidents do happen, pipes leak, ships run aground. I just hope that we will view the risks critically before we open up Alaska to more drilling.

I have selected a long term viewpoint here, but sacrifices must be made today in order to buy some time. I accept that.

I think environmentalists need to be willing to sacrifice too. It makes a lot more sense to accept some necessary environmental impact from something sustainable like wind energy, than to run around crying out against any impact at all.