I Send Mail 3
The Geek News Central podcast is relentlessly non-political. Nevertheless, in Friday’s show, Todd asked his listeners to let him know what they think about opening up ANWR and the continental shelf for oil exploration.
So I did:
You asked for comments about opening up ANWR and the continental shelf for oil exploration.
No.
According to the discussion on this episode of the Diane Rehm Show, opening these areas would have little or no effect on current or future oil prices or on U. S. oil reserves.
The discussion indicated that one of the reasons for pressure to open these areas from the oil companies, who already have oil leases for areas that they have not yet started to explore or use, is the oil companies’ stock prices. One of the factors that affects their stock prices is how many reserves they have. In short, their interest may not be primarily oil supplies, so much as Wall Street supplies.
Opening up these areas would do little or nothing to help the everyday person and lots to help the rich get richer with paper profits.
The policy that got us into this mess is ably dissected in this article from The Nation.
June 23, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Do you think they should drill in the areas they already hold these leases on?
June 24, 2008 at 2:17 am
I’ve seen the West Texas & Houston oil fields. I don’t want to see that off the coastlines anywhere. At least on land the wildlife has a chance to get away from the filth & noise. Not in the water, with the way damage spreads.
Then there are the companies LIKE KBR, who don’t care what kind of slip shod work they do. I can see the damage they could cause.
June 24, 2008 at 2:40 pm
(Opie) If the companies have the legal right to explore in areas to which they already have rights, sure, let them explore.
(Karen) What? You doubt KBR? They are half the Bushie war effort!