Do oil and water mix?

As Pantera would say, "Drag the waters some more!" (But I'm pretty sure they weren't talking about oil exploration).

Bush is. He's asking Congress today (Wednesday, June 18, '08) to lift the ban on offshore drilling. McCain has issued the same call. Can't imagine Obama (Gore) doing the same.

Pretty savvy idea, if you ask me. Sure, drilling would harm water, wildlife and wetlands, but gas is $4 a gallon. And crude oil prices are sky high. It's a popular time to be drilling anywhere and everywhere for oil.

Just recently, Michigan papers wrote about oil drilling in the state. No protestors in the stories.

At least a Bush spokesman says it will be "safe, environmentally friendly offshore oil drilling." Kinda like safe cigarettes.

The problem is, our economy and our way of life in America is built on oil and the internal combustion engine. We're screwed for the time being. Do you know how many things are made from crude oil? (Ever heard of plastic?)

Other countries want a standard of living like ours. They're demanding more oil. We can move to hybrids and alternative fuels and invoke higher mpg requirements, but that will take time.

What do we do in the meantime? Especially in states like Michigan where mass transit is like a train that runs on soda pop (mostly imaginary)?

Will offshore drilling reduce prices at the gas pump? How much are you willing to pay to keep gas down, environmentally and economically?

There's potential out there:

"The Interior Department offered a wide range of estimates of how much oil might be within reach of U.S. offshore drilling in a 2006 report. It estimated that the Outer Continental Shelf could hold 115.4 billion barrels. However, it also estimated that recoverable reserves off U.S. coasts in areas now banned from production probably hold only about 19 billion barrels."


Bush to ask Congress to clear way for offshore oil drilling - CNN.com