This is important. I know that you've all seen the comercials recently about how Obama is against Big Oil because he won't let them drill off shore or up in Alaska or whereever they want to put their tankers, and how this is hurting the economy because gas prices are just increasing, yadda, yadda, yadda. Well, here's what you really need to understand.
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, nor do I claim to be. This is more a matter of common sense in action.
What Big Oil wants is the rights to own said tracts of land and sea. Currently, all the land they want belongs to the government (and therefore technically everyone) for them to do with as they see fit. Yes, there may or may not be oil, coal, natural gas, the Holy Grail, located under the ground, but that is beside the point. What Big Oil/Natural Gas/Coal/Catholic Church want government to do is to let them be the sole owner of those lands so that they can do what they want to, when they want. This includes, but isn't limited to, keeping their competators from owning the land and removing the resources.
What you need to look out for is what exactly the plans are of the companies that want to use the land. The key phrase is whether they are actively planning to drill or if it's just "exploration". I have no qualms about drilling when the drilling is going to happen within the next 5 years because that's how long it takes to build a platform. But VA's Governor is trying desperately to "open Virginia's coast to off-shore drilling"--which since there's a pretty hefty wait before any oil will come up, I can't help but wonder how this drilling will help TODAY to bring down gas prices. Unless it's bringing down gas prices because some company knows that when they need it, they'll have that much supply waiting for them.
I challenge you to find out something. I want you to know how much land and sea area BP, Shell, and Exxon currently own but are not drilling. Separately, how many acres do they have that have the pumps currently in place, but aren't pumping even though they haven't been exhausted. Do these companies REALLY need access to more acreage or are they out to get something that will hurt their competators and therefore our economy.
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, nor do I claim to be. This is more a matter of common sense in action.
What Big Oil wants is the rights to own said tracts of land and sea. Currently, all the land they want belongs to the government (and therefore technically everyone) for them to do with as they see fit. Yes, there may or may not be oil, coal, natural gas, the Holy Grail, located under the ground, but that is beside the point. What Big Oil/Natural Gas/Coal/Catholic Church want government to do is to let them be the sole owner of those lands so that they can do what they want to, when they want. This includes, but isn't limited to, keeping their competators from owning the land and removing the resources.
What you need to look out for is what exactly the plans are of the companies that want to use the land. The key phrase is whether they are actively planning to drill or if it's just "exploration". I have no qualms about drilling when the drilling is going to happen within the next 5 years because that's how long it takes to build a platform. But VA's Governor is trying desperately to "open Virginia's coast to off-shore drilling"--which since there's a pretty hefty wait before any oil will come up, I can't help but wonder how this drilling will help TODAY to bring down gas prices. Unless it's bringing down gas prices because some company knows that when they need it, they'll have that much supply waiting for them.
I challenge you to find out something. I want you to know how much land and sea area BP, Shell, and Exxon currently own but are not drilling. Separately, how many acres do they have that have the pumps currently in place, but aren't pumping even though they haven't been exhausted. Do these companies REALLY need access to more acreage or are they out to get something that will hurt their competators and therefore our economy.
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