Obama to "drill baby drill"

[allaboutmary]

WASHINGTON — In a reversal of a long-standing ban on most offshore drilling, President Barack Obama plans to allow oil drilling 50 miles off of Virginia and is considering opening up significant additional stretches along the Atlantic and Alaskan coasts.

Obama's plan will cover a lot of ground -- and water -- offering few concessions to environmentalists, who have been strident in their opposition to more oil platforms off the nation's shores. Hinted at for months, the move would modify a ban that has limited coastal drilling outside the Gulf of Mexico for more than 20 years.

The Los Angeles Times, citing administration officials, summed up the four biggest elements of the plan:

•Eventually open two-thirds of the eastern Gulf's oil and gas resources for drilling.
•Proceed with drilling off Virginia, provided the project clears environmental and military reviews.
•Study the viability of drilling off the mid- and southern Atlantic coasts.
•Study the viability of drilling in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas -- areas hotly defended by environmentalists -- but issue no new drilling leases in either

[ILADVOCATE]

I would say if absolutely needed. I would also like to see investment into renewable energy sources. Regardless if we are allowed to drill offshore and even in Alaska the amount of oil is still limited and within a generation or so will run out. Fossil fuels not only create pollution. There is only a limited supply of them so they will eventually not be available. And investment into renewable energy sources can create jobs. I do know that some power sources such as using wind or solar power are showing to be viable and should be further researched and some farms use windmills to generate some of their electrical power already and some buildings have solar panels to generate sources of clean energy. I well understand people's concerns about finances but other than that to me it makes common sense if there were no public pressure should as within the cap and trade regulations.

[teko]

With the amount of oil that we use in this country, my only concern is whether it is enough to make a dent and will it continue to be forthcoming and what are the long term effects of pulling what cools the earth, (my own thinking here). Seems to me that that would have to have consequences? Im thinking out loud.

[allaboutmary]

I'm very torn on this issue.  I hate to see it happen, but also think we need to do it. We really need to get off foreign oil and it would create jobs.