No way it passes the Senate.

The status quo had allowed oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico -- impacting Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama completely, and part of Florida.

The majority of House districts do not have coastal property, and therefore like the idea of more energy. However, 38 Senate seats -- ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, WA, OR, CA, AK, HI -- do border the Atlantic or Pacific. For the most part, they are universally opposed to this legislation. Additionally, the Democratic non-oceanic Senators will likely be inclined to vote against it as well. This bill is dead in the water in the Senate.

Maybe it would survive compramise legislation, but I doubt it -- not on an election year. Voters are NIMBYists, and the GOP doesn't want to risk votes in NJ, RI, NH, ME, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, or AK. Especially FL, which has come out adamantly against the bill and is a key state for both parties.

If the bill passes and should become law, this will mean that nearly the last of our oil will be tapped. Once we finish up this resource, what will be next? I would think that our representatives and senators would be as much concerned to develop wind, solar and wave power as to extracting nearly the last of our oil. What about doing something practical to get Amaricans aware of the fact that they are nearing the end of their rope when it comes to easy oil. Our national reserves are getting lower every day yet we continue to run our large engine cars and SUV's. Doesn't the piper have to be paid one day??? Where is our national responsibility to the oil crisis?

No US car company seems much interested in EV or PHEV developoment but which US auto company will exist after we run ourselves out of oil and become nearly completely dependent upon foreign oil. Sometimes I think our government leaders are not thinking too clearly on this matter or that they are not concerned for the welfare of their own descendents. I wonder what could prevent them from acting in an intellegent and responsible manner. It is becoming like the situation before the fall of Rome. Our laws are weakening us from the inside and it would not take much outside pressure to cause the collapse of our energy empire and therefore of our economy.

We must be diligent as to the proper path to take and, in this case, it should be:
1. Restrictions to the wasteful use of fuels by laws promoting energy efficient vehicles, taxing fuels heavily, taxing large vehicles heavily and laws giving tax breaks and rebates to those manufacturing and purchasing EV's and PHEV's.
2. Laws encouraging renewable energy development of all types.
3. Expedient examination of federal rules regarding recent stoppage of wind farm construction due to possible "radar" interference.

[email protected]

Rafael:

Even the Democrats won't do anything that makes gas prices *higher* right now. Besides, I know my government too well. Any additional tax money raised that way would quickly get absorbed into pork projects.

I just don't trust my government enough to allow them to take more of my money.

Its getting quite silly how far we are going for oil. Whether its invading a foreign nation and fending off its crazed citizens.. Or searching the depths of the ocean.. It seems the time is ripe for the switch to come. Which probably wasn't the case when oil was easy to get and thus cheap.

I'm glad they are trying to get more oil to us. Especially when companies like GM are making annoucements such as the following:

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/FREE/60703001/1041

"GM to increase HP in mid-size trucks and H3 for 2007"

“Big oil in control of the government…”
I remember the time when it was “controlled” by arm producers.
But consider this:
From 10 top oil companies only one is US – Exson-Mobil, it is on the fifth place after way bigger oil companies run by the governments of Saudi and alike. It produces only 2% of world oil. Non of other US companies are in the top 10.

Following this logic, Canada, GB, and Norway shoul be just run by oil companies.

I bet the next candidate to “control” US government is pharmaceutical. Also could be Google.

Miguel,
You must be from Spain, and of course EU, where it is inspirational to see major drop in oil consumption there, in most EU countries. Spain I heard, is active in expanding the role of solar thermal energy with a large construction project. Northern Europe is determined to be independent from petrol in the next few decades. No such plans here in the USA. In fact, report from the EIA (Energy Information Administration) outline increase oil production project and increase reliance on petrol and fossil fuel. The Bush Adm objected to many states' measure to curb CO2 emission, saying that only federal govt. can regulate fuel efficiency standard, and has Bush done anything, inspite of his acknowledgement that "America is addicted to oil"?

Miguel, you brought up another important point, that is that oil refinery capacity is extremely limited in the USA due to the fact that no new refineries has been built here for a while, while oil consumption has been increasing unchecked, thus forcing gasoline importation from abroad. This is another evidence that Big Oil is creating shortage in order to boost gasoline prices, against our national interest. What happens to the billions of USD in grants and subsidies to the Oil Industry from the US Govt, that allows refinery capacity to be severely in short supply, that we have to import gasoline? Nobody cares about the looming record-high trade deficit? Since a large chunk of it came from petroleum importation, the first logical thing to do is to have an Appollo-like or Sputnik-like program of developing locally-produced renewable energy. But no, not when Bush and his congress is in office.

Andrey,
Yes, U R right. H*liburton is both an arm producer and and oil field contractor. H*liburton was behind Lyndon B Johnson political aspiration...and how did Johnson became US President? Have you watched "JFK" by Oliver Stone?
The entire B*sh clan is in cohoot with the S*udi government (one of the biggest *il company as you've alledged), to ensure that S*udi oil will get the best prices, to take control of Ir*qi oil and to control when and how much oil will flow out from there. Why do you suppose that most of the 9*1's terrorists are from S*udi, who are disgusted with their govt. yet decided to choose an US target instead?

And, yes, Canada's conservative government is already controlled by Big Oil, who will exploit the tar sand oil without regard to the envir*nmental cost. GB under Tony Bl*ir is the number one ally of the US in the Iraqi war, even at the strong disapproval of their own citizen. Tony Bl*ir now got the lowest approval rating of any PM, and ditto for B*sh in the US. The people ain't entirely stupid. They just can't do much about it, especially when their electronic votes were rigged by D*e-B*ld, and their punched votes by Jeb B*sh in Fl*rida.

Roger-
Schlumberger does more oil business than Haliburton...

China and Russia were not the only countries guilty of "skirting" the embargoes imposed on Iraq for kicking out the inspectors. Look right over at the European Union and you will find a few countries (France for example) were doing the same thing.

Where it's at.

sjc

My daily driver is a 1.9 TDI that gets 47mpg on used frye oil. I'm pretty sure that I am doing my part to reduce oil usage. However, I also realize that we need oil and will for the foreseable future. I am all for conserving where we can, but, Not drilling is Not the answer. Not drilling and Not expanding refining is what has got us where we are now. So if Not in Anwar and Not off the coast.

Someone tell me where?

Roger,
History may show you that you are mistaken. I have put my own money on this a few years ago, and have added to it since. The other takers were 8 close friends taking opposite views, or other views.
_You aare right about the Oil for Food, but WMD post 1991 did exist. The spigot did not exist. Hussein had damaged his wells during the 80's through sanction years (to 2003). It accelerated post 911, as he demaded more oil from mature fields and kickbacks($$). Not having a way for them to export "black oil" and being not able to refine it led them to inject some back into the ground, further damaging the fields. Add that with antiquated water injection systems and refineries/facilities would had required 5+ years, and tens of billions of dollars to get Iraq up and running.
_Kojo and Kofi are either suspect, or incompetent. There were also this Texas oil guy...David Chalmers, and the Koreagate guy...Tongsun Park, a lobbyist. Then there were debts to Soviet era arms/equiptment, and Chinese fiber optics communication for Hussein's govt/military. Russian and Chinese arms licenses set up too. All those AK's, RPG's, rocket artillery, Dragonovs, etc. were made from factories with licenses from companies in the FSU and PRC.

Joseph,
The answer is Iraq and Kazakstan, and...many more places...Canada, eh?
But more seriously, have you thought about biomethane and converting your car to run on biomethane? Northern Europe, Germany, and Pakistan are doing it. There are a lot of waste biomass that can be converted to methane for transportation fuel that would do a great service for our environment, rather than more and more drilling. IN fact, there are estimates that biomethane from waste biomass can supply as much as 1/3 of our transportation needs. The number may not be exact, but it is nevertheless encouraging to hear. Why is this done in Sweden, but not done here in the US? Just read my previous postings in this article.