Will high gas prices cause unprecedented drilling?

[One_Life_To_Give]

I think we are all aware of what the Conservative's knee jerk reaction is/ will be to the current price of gasoline. Drill in ANWR, CA and FL coasts, other? To what extent is expanded domestic drilling inevitable?

[Mountainman]

1. I think that was part of the plan all along. I'll bet it was talked about at Cheney's oil lobby

meetings in the White House.

[GliderGuider]

3. Only insofar as someone probably asked,

"What are the chances of finding more oil on US territitory?"
To which someone answered, "Doodley-squat."
At which point the Dick asked, "So, which of these blocks of Iraq do you guys want?"

[GliderGuider]

2. Oh, it's inevitable all right.

Whether it will do any good is another question entirely. Increased drilling in the USA has failed to stem the decline of domestic oil production for the last 37 years. There's no reason to expect that a little bit more will make much difference.

[Zachstar]

4. Maybe not in ANWR but drilling is going to happen.

At 120 USD There is insane profits to be made by drilling more so they will do every thing they can to extract as much oil from anything as possible.

No what needs to happen is the president dump 25 percent of the oil reserve on the market to break the chain of oil hoarders and speculators.

[ramapo]

5. Likely

I think people will put up with just about any amount of environmental degradation in order to keep driving, as long as it is NIMBY. Conservation could result in the same net difference in inventory but we all know that is just a personal virtue, not something of policy. After all, look at what happened to Jimmy Carter when he preached conservation. It is downright unAmerican. The price hike certainly makes drilling more attractive.

[notesdev]

6. Might as well accept it

It's going to happen. This country is going to demand it as a result of high energy prices. The environmental argument is going to fall on deaf ears when people are having trouble filling their gas tanks and feeding their families.

The environmental movement in general has a real serious problem in that it is unwilling to compromise on anything. By doing so it surrenders its say in which way things will go. We have a chance to guide energy development towards relatively clean sources - which translates to nuclear, since that's the only source other than coal and oil which can have a significant impact on our energy usage - but failing to even say, if we must then solution A is better than solution B, means getting cut out of the discussion altogether among people who are serious about addressing energy issues. Right now environmentalists in general are acting like spoiled babies who simply say no no no to everything. It's a good way to get oneself marginalized and ignored.

[Zachstar]

7. I have been saying that for quite some time now.

Environmentalism goes out the window when desperation sets in.

Do many so called environmentalists have ANY idea what is going to happen when fuel approaches 10 USD and the power bill explodes?

Can you say badly made homemade generators burning anything anyone can get their hands on? Including trash and trees? Nasty plastic trash and even coal they get from anywhere? Who cares if the tree has a nest of birds in it? The nest will burn quite well in the boiler.... THAT is what is coming!

I have already heard talk about it....

Yes it is nice that people are putting CFLs in and turning of the TV when they are not using it. However, that is due to extreme power bills because growth is putting more strain on the grid so overall the benefit is lost because the plant does not slow down it just ships the power elseware. And new plants are not being told "Nah we don't need you anymore" they are being built as quick as possible and in places like china a new one goes up almost every week.

I have to agree that Carter had us on the right path and had we stuck with it or atleast installed the idea back once Clinton was elected we could have been on the fast track by now.

The 70s people the early 70s was when NASA was warning us about loss of cheap oil.

[hunter]

8. By the time we get around to it we'll be too broke to drill.

It's like you need a car to drive to work, but you can't buy a car because you don't have work.

You can't just build a wooden platform somewhere in Texas or California, drill an ordinary hole with an ordinary bit and pipe, and have millions of barrels of oil come spewing out.

There ain't any more of these within easy driving distance:

http://www.geocities.com/mudsmeller/gushers.html

In 1910 the beastie in the photo above spewed an estimated 8.2 million barrels of oil, only half of which was saved and sold.

[stuntcat]

9. since the animals & habitats will never be as important as OUR needs

then I'm sure.. just wait.

"conservative" MY ASS

[Razorblade01]

10. Yeah But the cost of oil won't go down and we all know it!

They will keep taking every last bit of oil and keep charging as high as possible for it.

[Zachstar]

11. That is what the reserve is for.

It was designed to break up oil speculating and hoarding but because they know that bush will not dump on the market a percentage of the reserve they are just driving the prices higher and higher.

Oil is not really worth 120 USD yet. More like 80.