Easing our dependence on Foreign oil

[Pepipony]

OK, I totally agree with the above statement, we need to be free of the need for foreign oil. But what I dont get are the reasons told to us. Yes they can deny us oil and sell it elsewhere. But, doesnt OPEC etc set the price ( for the most part, I know our markets bear responsibility as well)? So what will stop them from setting the price at $500 a barrel? Even if we dont get it from them, our markets follow their pricing. If we use no foreign oil, will our market then set the price? Havent we learned that our Oil/Gas companies have NO morals when it comes to that? Will the government step in and say it must be so and so price? Wouldnt that be socialism and against the capitolist values?

I am not trying to start an arguement, just truly wondering how this would all work out.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

As I see it the way to end dependency on oil foreign or domestic is to STOP using it. Sounds simple doesnt it but remember our power plants and most all industry uses oil as its main fuel. We are already less dependent personally by not using any for our home. We are burning wood again after many years. As for cost control there are already many products that have price controlled by the government they just dont advertise it. In our state milk comes to mind. so Im sure if the government thinks they can get their fingers into it they will.

 

[AppyLover2]

We'll probably never be able to totally end our dependence on foreign oil but we can drastically reduce it. Problem is one of the candidates isn't in favor of drilling for own reserves. Instead of saying he would support it he said he would consider it. One more reason I'm not voting for him. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[garyo]

We'll probably never be able to totally end our dependence on foreign oil but we can drastically reduce it. Problem is one of the candidates isn't in favor of drilling for own reserves. Instead of saying he would support it he said he would consider it. One more reason I'm not voting for him. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Obama has never said he isn't in favor of drilling for our own reserves. The comment you referred to was in regard to offshore drilling, usually in the Gulf of Mexico. I think he said there were many leases going unused and he would consider whether more leases would be issued. Your statement makes it sound as if Obama is totally against drilling for any oil in the U.S. period.

I, for one, am not in favor of seeing drilling platforms off our beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.

Will never forget years ago taking our kids to the beach and having their feet covered with tar balls from a tanker accident in the Tampa shipping channel.

Drill baby drill is not the answer.

Maybe both candidates should pay attention to those such as, T. Boone Pickens, and his ideas for energy independence.

Gary

 

[AppyLover2]

Gary with all due respect, I was merely expressing my opinion. I wasn't necessarily asking for people to agree with it.

 

[garyo]

Gary with all due respect, I was merely expressing my opinion. I wasn't necessarily asking for people to agree with it.

And I was trying to clarify the misinformation in your post and just happened to interject my opinion. If we all agreed, most of these politically related topics would be quite boring.

 

[Laura]

We'll probably never be able to totally end our dependence on foreign oil but we can drastically reduce it. Problem is one of the candidates isn't in favor of drilling for own reserves. Instead of saying he would support it he said he would consider it. One more reason I'm not voting for him. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Obama has never said he isn't in favor of drilling for our own reserves. The comment you referred to was in regard to offshore drilling, usually in the Gulf of Mexico. I think he said there were many leases going unused and he would consider whether more leases would be issued. Your statement makes it sound as if Obama is totally against drilling for any oil in the U.S. period.

I, for one, am not in favor of seeing drilling platforms off our beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.

Will never forget years ago taking our kids to the beach and having their feet covered with tar balls from a tanker accident in the Tampa shipping channel.

Drill baby drill is not the answer.

Maybe both candidates should pay attention to those such as, T. Boone Pickens, and his ideas for energy independence.

Gary

I'm with you Gary and I too remember spending most of my beach vacation as a kid trying to get the tar off of everything

We have ROCKING wind up here on our mountain (we're geeks with a remote digital indoor anemometer) and lovely, flat, mountaintop hayfields in one of Arkansas' top two wind areas...if we can find funding, we will be SERIOUSLY looking into wind energy.

T. Boone Pickens has a facinating proposal on his website and it takes just a few minutes to watch.

 

[onlyminis]

I also enjoy and appreciate Pickens, however at this time it would cost us $125,000 to set up for wind and solar, not something that's doable on our income. The costs need to drastically come down, our state doesn't offer grants right now.

As for drilling here, we use it, we should use our own oil as we work to find alternative energy sources.

bb

 

[AppyLover2]

Gary, you're right, these political topics are far from boring and I'm learning MUCH MORE about this election than I ever have in the past. I'm not trying to start anything but let's look at this from a practical point of view.

I LOVE Florida. Lived there for 17 years and am trying to sell out so I can move back. However there comes a time in our lives when difficult decisions must be made. To say that we don't want to spoil the view from Florida beaches is, IMO, a pretty flimsy reason to refuse to consider a way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to ignore that off-shore drilling would create hundreds of jobs.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[Danielle_E.]

One major draw back of "spoiling the view" from Florida beaches is it would impact your tourist industry - loss of income, loss of jobs in the tourist industry but then you would gain in jobs for oil.

 

[garyo]

Gary, you're right, these political topics are far from boring and I'm learning MUCH MORE about this election than I ever have in the past. I'm not trying to start anything but let's look at this from a practical point of view.
I LOVE Florida. Lived there for 17 years and am trying to sell out so I can move back. However there comes a time in our lives when difficult decisions must be made. To say that we don't want to spoil the view from Florida beaches is, IMO, a pretty flimsy reason to refuse to consider a way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to ignore that off-shore drilling would create hundreds of jobs.

Again, just my opinion.

There is currently offshore drilling, the oil companies want to drill closer to shore. They would rather drill in shallow water than deep water, makes sense as it would be cheaper.

But, most of our economy in this state is based on either construction or tourism. Tourist are often the people who come back to Florida to live, or retire. Granted, drilling would create jobs but I believe that MANY more jobs would be lost due to the environmental impact that drilling would have. IMO, most tourists would rather see dolphins jumping or great sunsets without the oil rigs in sight. So i think a good argument can be made that drilling close to our shores would actually result in a net loss of jobs.

I personally don't trust big oil to be good stewards of our fragile environment.

I don't have a problem with drilling in deep water, using the hundreds of existing leases, but the wells close to our beaches would most certainly play havoc with the beaches and the economy of our beautiful state.

Good luck on selling so you can once again enjoy the wonders that our state has to offer.

Gary

 

[AppyLover2]

Danielle I really don't think that spoiling the view would have a huge affect on tourism. Perhaps some in those areas where you can't see the sea because of the oil platforms but I doubt that they would be that thick anywhere, much less all along the hundreds of miles of Florida coastline. It's a beautiful place and I'd hate to see that beauty diminished (no matter how slightly) as much as anyone. I just think we need to consider the gains vs the losses.

 

[littlesteppers]

We'll probably never be able to totally end our dependence on foreign oil but we can drastically reduce it. Problem is one of the candidates isn't in favor of drilling for own reserves. Instead of saying he would support it he said he would consider it. One more reason I'm not voting for him. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Obama has never said he isn't in favor of drilling for our own reserves. The comment you referred to was in regard to offshore drilling, usually in the Gulf of Mexico. I think he said there were many leases going unused and he would consider whether more leases would be issued. Your statement makes it sound as if Obama is totally against drilling for any oil in the U.S. period.

I, for one, am not in favor of seeing drilling platforms off our beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.

Will never forget years ago taking our kids to the beach and having their feet covered with tar balls from a tanker accident in the Tampa shipping channel.

Drill baby drill is not the answer.

Maybe both candidates should pay attention to those such as, T. Boone Pickens, and his ideas for energy independence.

Gary

 

[AppyLover2]

Interesting speech. Opens several more areas for questions.

 

[littlesteppers]

Weeellll..I am a drill baby drill..I watched cspan all summer ..since oil prices are very important to us..

If you actually took the time to watch congress..you KNOW whats going on..

 

[Pepipony]

Those who are for drill baby drill, I ask you this, have YOU lived next to a well site? Do you know of all the noise and damage these sites do? Have you driven the roads that these trucks travel? Have you seen the damage to them? Have you walked the creeks/rivers/streams around any of the out of the way drill sites? Have you heard a few days of fracking the wells? Have you heard them putting in or using a flare stack? Have you smelled a sour well? Have you seen the wildlife all but dissappear? NO? Than you have an opinion, which is good, but you dont have an informed opinion.

They will be putting up a gas rig not far from me in the next few months, with a house within stone throwing distance. I bet those people would let you stay in their spare bedroom. Come enjoy the gas well drilling experience. Then make your decision on whether you are all for drilling.

I bet God wouldnt be too proud of the drilling and damage we do. I think our human selfishness is why we couldnt have been made in His image.

Ohh btw, we have coal strip mining 5 miles away, come take a peek at that too.

 

[mrgizzmoe]

dont feel its a good idea . plus when that runs out then what . they say it would last about 60 years i think. not along time .we need to find other ways .

but dont see it happening .they prob drill away for the fastest way to patch to problem when we should of looked at this before i was born in 1983 .

 

[littlesteppers]

Those who are for drill baby drill, I ask you this, have YOU lived next to a well site? Do you know of all the noise and damage these sites do? Have you driven the roads that these trucks travel? Have you seen the damage to them? Have you walked the creeks/rivers/streams around any of the out of the way drill sites? Have you heard a few days of fracking the wells? Have you heard them putting in or using a flare stack? Have you smelled a sour well? Have you seen the wildlife all but dissappear? NO? Than you have an opinion, which is good, but you dont have an informed opinion.

They will be putting up a gas rig not far from me in the next few months, with a house within stone throwing distance. I bet those people would let you stay in their spare bedroom. Come enjoy the gas well drilling experience. Then make your decision on whether you are all for drilling. I bet God wouldnt be too proud of the drilling and damage we do. I think our human selfishness is why we couldnt have been made in His image.

Ohh btw, we have coal strip mining 5 miles away, come take a peek at that too.

You know what..IF I would know I have oil in my backyard..I would drill tomorrow..

I find it interesting that California has CAPPED oil platforms that could produce and would give millions of income to the state..yet they NEED to borrow money from the Government..

BTW..there are quiet a few wells right in the middle of the country..a guy in Indianapolis drilled and "produces 8 barrels a day..he shares with his neighbors..thats true american to me..

 

[Pepipony]

Those who are for drill baby drill, I ask you this, have YOU lived next to a well site? Do you know of all the noise and damage these sites do? Have you driven the roads that these trucks travel? Have you seen the damage to them? Have you walked the creeks/rivers/streams around any of the out of the way drill sites? Have you heard a few days of fracking the wells? Have you heard them putting in or using a flare stack? Have you smelled a sour well? Have you seen the wildlife all but dissappear? NO? Than you have an opinion, which is good, but you dont have an informed opinion.

They will be putting up a gas rig not far from me in the next few months, with a house within stone throwing distance. I bet those people would let you stay in their spare bedroom. Come enjoy the gas well drilling experience. Then make your decision on whether you are all for drilling. I bet God wouldnt be too proud of the drilling and damage we do. I think our human selfishness is why we couldnt have been made in His image.

Ohh btw, we have coal strip mining 5 miles away, come take a peek at that too.

You know what..IF I would know I have oil in my backyard..I would drill tomorrow..

I find it interesting that California has CAPPED oil platforms that could produce and would give millions of income to the state..yet they NEED to borrow money from the Government..

BTW..there are quiet a few wells right in the middle of the country..a guy in Indianapolis drilled and "produces 8 barrels a day..he shares with his neighbors..thats true american to me..

You know what..IF I would know I have oil in my backyard..I would drill tomorrow

So YOU would benefit and thats fine. But what about the other 99% who dont benefit ( at least not directly) who have to deal with all the bs that goes along with? I need to google earth and show you my area, you would be sick to see what all they have done. When we moved here in '88 it was quiet. Now, we have so much noise and traffic, its not funny. Usually we cannot sleep with windows open because of it ( and we are RURAL). We have wells N,E,S and W of us, 2 are just out of legal limits of 250 yards. As for mineral rights, in TX , most people dont own their own unless its ancestral land and even then, its not unheard of to pass land to one person and mineral rights to another.

I did notice that neither you, nor anyone else has ever said they would take me up on my offer of letting you live the well experience. People who want drilling, NEED to be informed and learn what it is all about.

 

[garyo]

We'll probably never be able to totally end our dependence on foreign oil but we can drastically reduce it. Problem is one of the candidates isn't in favor of drilling for own reserves. Instead of saying he would support it he said he would consider it. One more reason I'm not voting for him. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Obama has never said he isn't in favor of drilling for our own reserves. The comment you referred to was in regard to offshore drilling, usually in the Gulf of Mexico. I think he said there were many leases going unused and he would consider whether more leases would be issued. Your statement makes it sound as if Obama is totally against drilling for any oil in the U.S. period.

I, for one, am not in favor of seeing drilling platforms off our beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.

Will never forget years ago taking our kids to the beach and having their feet covered with tar balls from a tanker accident in the Tampa shipping channel.

Drill baby drill is not the answer.

Maybe both candidates should pay attention to those such as, T. Boone Pickens, and his ideas for energy independence.

Gary

Littlesteppers, after watching your link I stand by my previous post. In his speech he said he did not support drilling off the Florida coast. He did not say he does not support drilling for our own reserves.

Thats a big difference.

The Florida coast is not the only place in America with oil.

Gary