Offshore Drilling: Digging Deeper into the Hole

Bush is urging Congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling.

Why do I feel like we're only digging ourselves deeper into this hole of dependency on oil? Didn't we want to wean ourselves off of that because, oh yeah, it's a non-renewable resource. Let's think about that definition. If it's non-renewable, that means there's a limit. We're going to run out. One year or one hundred years from now, oil does not last forever. Maybe by damaging the environment, prices will go down a few cents... only to skyrocket again in a few months. But that's ok. By that point, a new president will be in office. Let the New Guy deal with it.

Europe hasn't solved the problem either, but at least they're ahead of us. Let's take some notes and focus on improving alternative sources rather than trying to cling to oil until it is completely exhausted. Improve the public transportation in cities, improve the speed and reliability of long-distance trains (esp Amtrak) to offer alternate means of transport. This would ease the oil squeeze slightly while alternative research is perfected.

I'm sure that I will have a more developed rant on this topic in the future. For now, I must call it a night.


Final Thought: When I began my planning for Europe, I was worried that I would need an International Driver's License in order to travel around the continent. I needn't have worried; I could get anywhere that I desired by train.
Not so in the States. This needs to change.