Obama's first failed appointment

[TheMercenary]

Yea, well you could support ways to get us off the oil and gas teet of other countries or you could look in our own back yard to find a way to say "screw you" to those countries that depend on our dependence.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Yea, well you could support ways to get us off the oil and gas teet of other countries or you could look in our own back yard to find a way to say "screw you" to those countries that depend on our dependence.

Why do you think new oil and gas development leases, particularly around national parks, are necessary when nearly 70 million acres of federal land (on and off shore) have already been leased to oil companies and are open to drilling but sit idle?

Those 70 million acres already leased have the potential to produce millions barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of natural gas per day. Wouldnt it make sense to explore those leases first?

I suspect the new leases were primarily to provide more tax write-offs for oil companies and oil investors.

The mantra of "drill baby drill" is not my idea of a sound or comprehensive energy policy. But hell, if you feel a need to drill, start with those 70 million acres already leased.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

Why do you think new oil and gas development leases, particularly around national parks, are necessary when nearly 70 million acres of federal land (on and off shore) have already been leased to oil companies and are open to drilling but sit idle?

Cite.

Those 70 million acres already leased have the potential to produce millions barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of natural gas per day. Wouldnt it make sense to explore those leases first?

I would agree, citation needed please.

I suspect the new leases were primarily to provide more tax write-offs for oil companies and oil investors.

I would tend to agree, but if you are going to accuse someone of wrong doing please provide evidence. Thanks.

The mantra of "drill baby drill" is not my idea of a sound or comprehensive energy policy. But hell, if you feel a need to drill, start with those 70 million acres already leased.

I personally have no problem with it if it gets us off the teet of any country outside our borders. If I had my way we all be going solar, wind, and water to solve our energy dependence.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Yea, well you could support ways to get us off the oil and gas teet of other countries or you could look in our own back yard to find a way to say "screw you" to those countries that depend on our dependence.

So we should mine and drill near our public lands and parks? yea, cause what I really want to see when I go to the Grand Canyon is fucking oil wells. Don't be such a tool Merc.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

So we should mine and drill near our public lands and parks? yea, cause what I really want to see when I go to the Grand Canyon is fucking oil wells. Don't be such a tool Merc.

It is not about being a tool, it is about energy independence from other countries.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

It is not about being a tool, it is about energy independence from other countries.

Blarg. Drill & cap. Keep buying their shit. When they run out, uncap the wells, use the oil, and watch the Saudis try to eat sand.

If they're dumb enough to trade oil for fiat currency, screw 'em.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

It is not about being a tool, it is about energy independence from other countries.

Then we should be developing alternatives, not doing the same old, same old. Besides ruining some of our most pristine/protected lands (that are for everyone to enjoy btw), it literally takes YEARS to open new drill sites/wells. We wouldn't be seeing any of that oil anytime soon.

If we simply must continue to use a combustion engine (which I would much rather go to electric cars, or cars run on compressed air), we should develop biofuel made from algae. We could develop it a LOT faster, it doesn't require a whole lot of space to do it, it could provide virtually all of our energy needs, and all kinds of different fuels can be made from it. It's clean. Producing it doesn't create all the pollution that comes from drilling. etc. etc. etc.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Then we should be developing alternatives, not doing the same old, same old. Besides ruining some of our most pristine/protected lands (that are for everyone to enjoy btw), it literally takes YEARS to open new drill sites/wells. We wouldn't be seeing any of that oil anytime soon.

If we simply must continue to use a combustion engine (which I would much rather go to electric cars, or cars run on compressed air), we should develop biofuel made from algae. We could develop it a LOT faster, it doesn't require a whole lot of space to do it, it could provide virtually all of our energy needs, and all kinds of different fuels can be made from it. It's clean. Producing it doesn't create all the pollution that comes from drilling. etc. etc. etc.

We have no choice but to do both. This country will still take 25 - 50 years to get off the use of fosil fuels, even it wanted to make a concerted effort to do so.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

We have no choice but to do both. This country will still take 25 - 50 years to get off the use of fosil fuels, even it wanted to make a concerted effort to do so.

Better start now.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by TGRR

Better start now.

Never said we shouldn't. But we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water either.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

We have no choice but to do both. This country will still take 25 - 50 years to get off the use of fosil fuels, even it wanted to make a concerted effort to do so.

I don't buy it. If we really wanted to do it, we could accomplish it in a relatively short period of time. We just have to decide to really get behind it, and DO it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yeah, you people driving those 200,000,000 cars... turn 'em in to the government on Thursday.