There are plenty of debates going on between politicians because of the upcoming midterm elections. One of the more prominent debates is concerning energy. The recent BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is one event that is largely fueling this debate. Prior to the spill Obama called for “opening swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling.” His view has stayed consistent through the BP disaster. However, Obama believes that offshore drilling can only be continued if the proper precautions are made to remove the risk of another oil spill.
Offshore drilling does provide jobs and valuable natural resources that can only improve our economy. However, I feel like offshore drilling and the use of fossil fuels is becoming a thing of the past. The world is starting to “go green” and I think that’s the right direction. There is no sense to hurt the environment with emissions of carbon into the atmosphere when we have the technology to provide energy without the use of fossil fuels.
Throughout the next few weeks I plan to explore energy alternatives and their effect on our nation’s economy and the environment. Alternatives such as nuclear power, wind power, and solar power can improve both the US economy and our affect on the environment.
I agree that our country needs to start looking for greener alternatives for our energy needs. The longer we stay dependant on oil, the longer we stay dependant upon other countries like Saudi Arabia. Also, it is a fact that there are only a limited amount of oil left. So there will soon be a necessity to develop alternative energy sources. Why not start now and allow the U.S.A. become the leaders in green technology. We have don it in the past, and we cancertainly do it now. I read that back during the oil crisis during the Carter administration the U.S. developed a car that could get almost one hundred miles to the gallon. Why not bring this kind of technology back? Why not start developing our own green standards for the rest of the world to follow?
ReplyDeleteI completely understand that the recent BP oil disaster is causing talks in the recent upcoming elections to spark a new form of energy. However, green energy is a source of energy that is expensive and often does not actually work. The amount of money that would be spent on new green energy sources far outweighs the costs of off shore drilling and the benefits the drilling brings. Offshore drilling, though with its many detriments, is what is fueling today’s economy. By adding an even larger deficit to the American economic debt caused by Obama’s extreme expenditures, the economy will continue to plummet. I understand that in the long run these costs should outrun themselves and pay themselves back but should we risk making this economy even worse in order to help with the issues of offshore drilling? Should we risk even further the chance that America could very well lose itself and succumb to China? Are there other ways to cut ties with Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries who provide oil? There are much less expensive economic endeavors that could be thought of that are less expensive than green energy plans. I think at this time in our economic recovery stages, energy should be thought of last. What needs to happen instead is new creation of jobs, less spending on the economic front, and continued talks about discontinuing the Obama Economic stimulus package. Our country needs to focus on recovering before making the economy worse.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the United States needs to find other alternatives to fossil fuels. It is so important to not deplete our environment with emissions, so that the next generation can enjoy the Earth in the same way that we have. But, in your post I noticed that you said "fossil fuels are a thing of the past." Although we are trying to reduce the amount of oil we use, until "green technology" becomes more affordable for the average American, we will continue to use oil. Hopefully we stop using oil sooner rather than later, but Americans will only stop using oil when the alternative becomes more convenient or cheaper than what they use now.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the US should find alternatives to fossil fuel. Conserving the environment should be a goal of the United States. Using fossil fuels is going to destroy our planet if we keep drilling and using natural resources. There is limited amount of oil left; therefore we have to think of alternatives to have fuel and energy. We need to start now with finding new alternatives before we get to the day where the oil runs out. The world looks to the United States for new technology and innovative ideas. Going green is the right way to go; we just need to make it affordable for everybody. As of right now going green can be very expensive and the majority of Americans would not be able to pay for it. Hopefully soon fossil fuels will be eliminated from use to reserve our planet and we can use the alternative fuel such as wind power or solar power at a reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteMosqueman2010, our economy would prosper if we became the leaders in green technology. Becoming leaders of future energy technology will push us to a new level of a superpower. I think your questions are completely relevant too. If we had technology to develop a car that could get 100 miles to the gallon during the Carter administration, than present day technology should be able to do at least that. The world needs a country to take a step to leading the world in green technology and I think the United States should be the ones.
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