May 06, 2011
An Observation On Obama’s Observation On Oil Drilling
Here’s what he said today.
“We can’t just drill our way out of the problem,” Obama said during an energy policy speech in Indiana Friday. “If we’re serious about addressing our energy problems, we’re going to have to do more than drill.”
He is, of course, correct – we cannot solve all of our energy problems by drilling for oil in the US. We certainly cannot solve them all immediately by drilling. But by the same token, we cannot solve all our energy problems by developing alternative sources of energy – or if we can, we cannot solve them immediately, just as is the case with more oil drilling.
Now there is a tendency by some to argue that there is no use drilling more if more drilling won’t solve our energy problem today. But by that logic, there is also no point in doing the alternate energy development because there is no telling when that will bring relief, either. That means that we should do nothing, because there is no solving the problem right now. And that, my friends, is an argument that is based in unalloyed stupidity of an unprecedented variety.
Let’s face it – in 2001, we were told that drilling in ANWR and other locations was pointless because it would be a decade before we got any oil, and it was therefore rejected by the anti-drillers. Let’s assume that was right – it is ten years later, and we could sure as Hell use that oil that would be hitting the market now. If the Bush reforms in the latter part of his presidency had taken hold, some offshore oil might be flowing today, mitigating the damaging impact of high oil prices upon our economy,
So I’ll be glad to say it – let’s develop those alternative energy sources if we can. That would be a great thing, if we succeed. But, to use the great line from 2008, DRILL, BABY, DRILL. Because even if it doesn’t provide relief in the short term, the medium and long term production of more oil will ultimately be beneficial to our energy problems.
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