Offshore drilling bill defeated...
A bill that would have allowed offshore drilling was defeated yesterday in the U.S. Senate. The bill was offered as an amendment to the energy bill by Sen. John Warner. It was also supported by Sen. Jim Webb.
Warner stated that "our supply is not meeting our demand". This is true. The answer, though, is to find alternative sources that do involve fossil fuels. We have to pump as much money as possible to finding energy sources that are renewable and non-toxic to the environment. Sources that could be viable have not been fully explored. We're stuck in the mindset that we will magically find the solution to our energy needs before we run out of fossil fuels. That ain't going to happen.
Unfortunately, we're in a pickle. We need energy now but have yet to find acceptable alternative solutions because the upfront costs are too high. The shortsightedness of our elected officials dooms future generations to figure out solutions that we as a society do not have the gumption to solve. We can't even reap the benefits of drilling NOW.
"'We wish it had passed," said Patrice Harris, spokeswoman for Virginia Natural Gas, the primary gas supplier in Hampton Roads. "Eventually it would mean stabilized prices for our customers.'"
"Eventually" equals about 5-10 years from now if we're lucky. Not to mention the fact that we could be possibly screwing up our coastlines as a result.
I'm disappointed in Senators Warner and Webb for wanting to chase a solution that is not going to be a permanent fixture in our society a 100 years from now. I wish that they would explore other options such as wind, water, and solar and pump funding into them. It can happen but it's going to take lobbying from people across the country to do so. Unfortunately, I believe that they care about celebrities and scandals more than the sustainability of our energy resources.
Warner stated that "our supply is not meeting our demand". This is true. The answer, though, is to find alternative sources that do involve fossil fuels. We have to pump as much money as possible to finding energy sources that are renewable and non-toxic to the environment. Sources that could be viable have not been fully explored. We're stuck in the mindset that we will magically find the solution to our energy needs before we run out of fossil fuels. That ain't going to happen.
Unfortunately, we're in a pickle. We need energy now but have yet to find acceptable alternative solutions because the upfront costs are too high. The shortsightedness of our elected officials dooms future generations to figure out solutions that we as a society do not have the gumption to solve. We can't even reap the benefits of drilling NOW.
"'We wish it had passed," said Patrice Harris, spokeswoman for Virginia Natural Gas, the primary gas supplier in Hampton Roads. "Eventually it would mean stabilized prices for our customers.'"
"Eventually" equals about 5-10 years from now if we're lucky. Not to mention the fact that we could be possibly screwing up our coastlines as a result.
I'm disappointed in Senators Warner and Webb for wanting to chase a solution that is not going to be a permanent fixture in our society a 100 years from now. I wish that they would explore other options such as wind, water, and solar and pump funding into them. It can happen but it's going to take lobbying from people across the country to do so. Unfortunately, I believe that they care about celebrities and scandals more than the sustainability of our energy resources.
posted by Kevin | 8:17 AM
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