Off Shore Drilling Essay

Should the Government Expand Off Shore boring in the U.S.? The primitive crude rock crude oil colour colour industry has become prominent since middle 19th century. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the development of drilling methods has brought oil into a drastically larger extent of mass issue. Petroleum is one of the grievous extracted compositions of crude oil in the U.S. Until today, it is globally used mainly as fuels in transportation. Other uses include heating homes, powering industry, and providing raw material for flexible manufacturing. The great importance of oil to the province has led to the exploitation of its resources in the past century.Not scarcely exploiting land resources, the brass is also informant to exploit resources under the ocean. Off prop up drilling is the method of extracting crude oil from the seabed. It has been a controversial sheer in the U.S. of whether or non aside edge drilling should be expanded. In this essay, I am com paring and contrasting the reasons why some citizenry atomic number 18 positive of bump off shoring drilling in the U.S., and why some citizenry atomic number 18 in opposition to it. I go forth discuss 3 major aspects upon this issue the three aspects argon issue security, economy and environs.The frontmost reason why some people halt off beach drilling is that they bank that off shore drilling leave not harm the environment due to the vast im call downment of technology. The biggest environmental issue that is often associated with off shore drilling is oil spills. People recollect that as time is progressing, rapid advancement in technology departing make it thinkable to conduct off shore drilling at the safest manner in order not to harm the environment. Based on statistics by http//www.itopf.com, oil spill cases have declined over the past hardly a(prenominal) decades, which prove that technology has become better.In line with the advancement of technology, a complete recoin truth of past oil spills have been proven to be attainable. An example of such cases is the success story of the reco really of Alaskas Prince William Sound, which was  afflicted with oil spills at 1989. Moreover, people consider that the cause of oil spills is not due to off shore drilling, just mainly due to inwrought seeps and rock oil transportations. A study proves that urban runoff and treated sewerage dump deposits 12 times more(prenominal) petroleum into the sea than petroleum from seaward drilling.A study at Lousiana State University has also been conducted to prove that off shore drilling is good for marine life. It is believed that oil exertion platforms cause improvements in marine life. The study suggests that in that location be 50 more times of marine life around an oil production platform than in the surrounding mud bottoms of the sea in Lousiana. It is believed that there is a correlation between the blowups of marine life with the building of oil platforms.However, in opposition to this, some people believe that off shore drilling in the U.S. do pose serious environmental dangers. They believe that technology advancement reduces the risks of oil spills but do not a hundred share guarantee its nonoccurrence in the future. Once an oil explosion occurs, the damage will be extremely destructive to the environment and it will reach a point of no turning back. According to environmental and Commercial Perspectives by Ted Danson, approximately 120 jillion gallons of oil hold on up in the dry lands oceans every year from oil platforms, marine transportations, vessel discharges, and accidents. Many cases of oil spills had happened in the U.S. One of the sterling(prenominal) was the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaskas Prince William Sound, which caused the death of thousands of local marine creatures. Over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, and zillions o f salmon and herring eggs were killed. Oil damages variety meat of marine organisms and the long-term effects may cause impairments of reproduction of these creatures, which and so may lead to extinction of some of the species.Moreover, impacts of oil spills on the environment are long term and are extremely difficult to recover. This is because the four-ply layer of oil tends to spread very quickly under the ferment of wind, waves and currents. The Exxon Valdez oil spills spread approximately up to 1300 miles of the shoreline. Even with the latest technology, the roam of removing the oil from the sea is much slower compared to the rate of the spreading of oil. It is very rare to have more than 15% of the total spill domain recovered. Oil spills occurring in regions of extreme climate, such as Alaska, are withal exceedingly difficult to recover. It is almost impossible to soak up solemn crude oil trapped in waters covered with icebergs and sea ice. Thus, the impact will be much long lasting and at worst, irreversible.Despite the improvement in technology, off shore drilling is whitewash highly risky because even the finest technology may fail. Once it fails, the damage to the environment is tremendous. The operation of the rig is also associated with the production of toxic wastes and legion(predicate) other long lasting forms of pollution. The drilling muds contain mercury, lead and cadmium that may accumulate inside the bodies of marine organisms. In addition, some traces of this pollution may be found in seafood that people consume, therefore, creates serious health consequences for them. Next, another reason why some people support off shore drilling is because they believe that it will ensure the national security of the land. The United States is very dependent on foreign oil to tinct their immense oil demands.In 2010, based on the statistics provided by U.S. subdivision of Energy, 58.1 percent of total oil consumption in the U.S. i s imported, and the rest is domestically supplied. Sixty six percent of global oil reserves are in the hands of Middle tocopherolern regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Oil reserves in the U.S. only account for two percent of the total reserves worldwide, heretofore the country is ranked the highest in the world in terms of oil demands. The U.S. reliance on antagonistic countries in the Middle tocopherol for oil, unfortunately, poses brats towards the national security of the U.S. The U.S. is sending $500 one thousand million every year to oil producing countries for oil imports. The trade does not only involve in the transfer of extensive amount of cash from importers to exporters, but also power. Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are the greatest oil exporters, are now with all the power and money. credit on some of the Middle East countries for oil indirectly forces the U.S. to be involved in the political conflicts happening in there, and reduces the U.S. ability to solemnize the peace between conflicting countries in that area. Also, the U.S. has always been entangled in political and religious issues with Islamic countries of the Middle East. These expose the U.S. to threats of terrorism. One of the relate events was the devastating 9/11 terrorist polish. Whether or not it is a subject of coincidence, most terrorists that have been threatening the U.S. originate from the Middle East. The U.S., paying billions of dollars for oil to these countries, indirectly is funding their investment in arms and therefore backup terrorist organizations.Furthermore, the U.S. army is very dependent on oil to power and discover its defense machines and transportations. This further threatens the national security of the U.S. because even the countrys defense is now in the hands of the countries that have the likelihood to attack it. Increasing off shore drilling in the U.S. means change magnitude domestic supplement of heftiness. This is believed to be a way for the U.S. to be indie from foreign oil, thus, ensuring its national security.However, in contrary to this position, some people believe that off shore drilling will not lead to the countrys energy in dependency. Citing the U.S. government data, the country may have 49 billion barrels of oil in undeveloped reserves that are currently open for drilling. Another 19 billion is predicted to be on tap(predicate) in sites where drilling is presently prohibited. Even if the U.S. succeeded to extract all of its possible resources, experts predicted that this would merely increase the U.S. oil production by 1-4 percent. This means that the U.S. will still rely on imported oil even if the countrys resources are completely exploited. In addition, reliance upon oil as a source of energy itself is not sustainable. Oil is believed to reach its elevation production very soon. With all of the known reserves worldwide and at the present global rate of c onsumption, oil is predicted to run out in 40 years. Some people think that the solution for the U.S. to be energy independent is to give up relying on oil and start investing in alternative fuels.Finally, the last reason why some people support off shore drilling in the U.S. is that increase domestic summate of oil will ensure the stability and improve the economy of the country. The U.S. dependence on foreign oil, not only threatens the countrys national security, but also threatens the countrys economic stability. Countries of the Middle East are very hostile and unstable. We should take an example of the US-Iran clash. The U.S., which has the power to stop Iran from pursuing power plants for the sake of peace in the Middle East, is coerce to abandon the plans of investing oil in Iran as a threat to Irans economy. This leads to the collision between the U.S. and Iran. As a reprisal, Iran threatens to attack oil shipping in the Persian disconnection and disrupt oil lurch from the gulf to the U.S. Disruption of oil delivery will cause a devastating effect to the U.S economy.Energy independence from troubled Middle East countries is a way to promote a stable economy in the U.S. and some people believe that offshore drilling is a way to reach this goal. In line with economy, offshore drilling is also very profitable for the U.S. and it is believed that it can affect the price of gasoline worldwide. Based on statistics provided by www.api.org, by the year 2035, off shore drilling is estimated to add together up to $23.5 billion per year to the U.S. economy. Kevin A. Hasett, the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, stated, by change magnitude offshore exploration and drilling, the United States would be encouraging oil-producing nations to put more oil in the market now, thereby lowering prices on the world wide market. Gasoline price is the key to economy.If gasoline price goes down, pric es of goods end-to-end the country will also decrease. Consumer sentiment will increase, as people will tend to buy more goods. This will increase the governments revenue, which in turn improves the countrys economy. Furthermore, off shore drilling also provides jobs for Americans and prevents the going of jobs that are already available. High damage of energy in the U.S. causes umpteen companies to relocate their plants outside of the country. This causes the loss of jobs of many Americans who are already working for these companies. On the other hand, as salutary as the off shore drilling plant itself provide jobs, the lessening of oil prices will also attract companies to invest in the U.S. and hence provides more jobs for Americans.However, in opposition to this position, some people believe that off shore drilling will not improve the economy in the U.S. As mentioned previously, even the complete exploitation of all the reserves in the U.S will only increase the U.S. oil production by 1-4 percent. Also, oil prices are largely driven by worldwide supply and demand. determine will only lower if either one of them increases. Even if the supply is increase, recent statistics show that world oil demand is also increasing very rapidly. Hence, some people believe that off shore drilling in the U.S. would not significantly affect worldwide oil price.In addition, how much oil can actually be extracted is not yet guaranteed. Exploration and rig construction salutes a lot of money and time. Even if off shore drilling will be conducted anytime soon, it will not immediately lower oil price. According to EIA, any measured changes of price will only be visible until 2030.Despite the increasing of jobs available due to off shore drilling, we should also consider the jobs that are lost and the economic impact to the U.S. when oil spills occur. Oil spills do not only severely damage the environment, but also cause proscribe impacts on tourism and fishing indu stries. Oil spills kill thousands of fish and set aside beautiful beaches that attract tourists. The Exxon Valdez oil spills cost more than $300 million of economic loss to more than 30000 people whose lives depend on commercial fishing. Also, the oil spills that hit the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 cost a loss of $60 billion in tourism industry.Furthermore, we should also consider the cost of recovery of oil spills. Despite the profits that the country makes on offshore drilling, the cost of recovery when an oil explosion occurs is much greater. The U.S. spent $20 billion fund in response to the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company British Protocol is responsible to fund $56 billion dollars in fines, cleanup costs and settlements. Overall, some people see that expanding offshore drilling is putting the countrys economy at risk instead of improving it.Expanding off shore drilling in the U.S. is a very controversial topic. The government should take into consideration of both fence s ides before making decisions whether or not to expand off shore drilling in the U.S. by weighing issues regarding national security, environment and economy. They should try on a sustainable long-term solution in order to make full the energy needs of the country in the present and in the future.