Drill Or Not Yo Drill

Drill Or Not Yo Drill

To Drill or not to drill? That is the question
Heydi Maldonado- Paz
HUM/114
July 14, 2011
Randy Stinnett

I definitely agree that the United States needs to invest in alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar power and decrease the dependence on oil. This of course is a hard choice to make because at the same time as we are drilling we are getting oil that is needed for other purposes. Also stopping oil drilling would cut out many jobs. So, it is necessary to look at both situations and find a solution that will help both parties out. The United States dependence upon oil, especially foreign oil, negatively affects its economy and national energy security.  Today, over half of the oil we use is imported. Most of the world's oil reserves are concentrated in the Middle East and over two-thirds are controlled by OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) members.  Oil price shocks and price manipulation by OPEC have cost our economy dearly -- about $7 trillion from 1979 to 2000 and each major price shock was followed by a recession. With growing U.S. imports and increasing world dependence on OPEC oil, future price shocks are probable. As we know President Barack Obama has pushed forward his agenda to free America from dependency on foreign oil. A growth of green jobs is predicted in the coming years as new technologies, such as solar power and clean coal, are pursued and expanded. Meanwhile, many people and opposing politicians believe this is an unnecessary and expensive push. They state we could just continue drilling off the Gulf Coast, Alaska, and other areas within our country that are currently not being explored. This is a very short-sighted solution. In the long road it will create more problems than it will solve.   While we are in the transition to the energy revolution it is important to find alternatives ways of drilling without harming the ozone layer and earth. It is important to build some new improved plants that would...