[Stones]

So how long do we buy energy independence by extracting a non-renewable resource? Are there enough provable domestic oil reserves to make us energy independent?

[mgd]

I am more concerned about what drilling will do to the tetonic plates. Right now the plates are lubricated by a liberal amount of fairly viscous crude oil, and the plates slide easily back and forth (i.e. like a well-oiled machine). Remove this oil and the plates will start to grind and create heat due to friction. Now volcanos all around the ring of fire will begin firing off. Now heat from the friction will raise the surface temperature of the earth, rapidly accelerating the melting of the polar ice caps. This will take years to happen so no one will notice, but by the time we do, it will be too late. Your car runs better at the expense of the earth grinding to a halt? It is a zero sum game. Stop the drilling now!!!

[MtnGoat]

[Stones]

[MtnGoat]

[scm007]

I really get ticked off when people say drilling like this (especially in the ANWR) will give us 'energy independence'. Independent from the Middle East is what I'm assuming this means. How will that work? The oil market is a free market. If you drill oil out of America, it doesn't increase Americas supply of oil, it increases the world's supply of oil. This will make the price go down some, but then people will just purchase more... so the Middle East gets approx. the same amount of money, perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. And they have reserves enough to supply for a LONG time. For me, I'd rather pay the 2c per gallon extra and keep these areas conserved; we're going to need an alternative way of producing large amounts of energy at a low cost within the next 50 years anyway. We shouldn't look at the short-term gains to be had from drilling when our future source of energy will almost certainly be in something other than petroleum. By drilling we're just delaying the inevitable, that oil prices will climb sufficiently high to make alternative energy sources cost efficient, and to make alternative energy research a good investment. I'd rather see this conclusion come sooner than later, and save some wildnerness areas in the process. IMO We need another Manhattan Project to develop a cheap way of harnessing solar energy. Perhaps some sort of biochemical method. Instead of reasoning 'gas prices are high -- we need more gas', why not reason 'gas prices are high -- we need something to supplement gas'? Just imagine how far forward we might be right now had all this money spent bickering on both sides just been spent towards developing a sustainable alternative?