Opposing view: No need to drill offshore”: USA Today OpEd
USAToday, Op-Ed, “Opposing view: No need to drill offshore”
April 2, 2010
By Frances Beinecke
It’s risky, adds little supply, and the nation has several better options.
Everyone can agree we need a stronger, safer energy future for our country. The question is, how do we get there? I believe the answer is a comprehensive clean energy and climate strategy that takes advantage of solutions that hold the greatest potential to put us on a clean and domestic energy path.
And simply put, more offshore drilling moves us off this path.
There’s no need to jeopardize the 2 million jobs and the $128 billion annual economy that depend on ocean resources when drilling will do little to relieve America’s oil addiction. According to the Department of Energy, new drilling won’t significantly impact domestic crude oil and natural gas production before 2030. And the price of gasoline is set by the global marketplace, so it won’t impact prices at the pump either.
There are better ways to fuel our cars and trucks – available now – that will protect the ocean economy, create jobs and help America compete in the global clean energy market.
The new clean car standards President Obama announced this week are a real solution, saving Americans billions of dollars and 1.8 billion barrels of oil.
If we want to boost our domestic supply, we should focus on the untapped resource of enhanced oil recovery. Abandoned oil in existing wells can supply more than 10 times the oil as offshore drilling over the same period. Yet that’s left on the table.
And drilling off our coasts still poses grave risks. Despite technological advances, a blowout last year from a state-of-the art Australian facility took 10 weeks to bring under control and spread oil over 20,000 square miles. Recent hurricanes have destroyed oil platforms, tanks and pipelines throughout the Gulf of Mexico and released more than 1 million gallons of crude oil and other petroleum products. Hurricanes are an annual threat to our East Coast, making hurricane-related accidents inevitable.
I have worked more than 30 years to put sound oceans policies in place, and I know offshore drilling will not move America forward. We need to pay attention to real solutions: cleaner cars, better use of existing oil fields, and utilizing our coasts for clean renewable energy, such as offshore wind. That means comprehensive clean energy legislation with smart solutions for our energy and climate needs.
Special thanks to Richard Charter