Democrats Changing Their Tune on Offshore Drilling
September 12, 2008
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Despite decades of opposition to offshore drilling, a staple of the congressional Democrats’ platform, House Leader Nancy Pelosi is starting to change her tune, a move that could negatively impact the country’s carbon footprint.
The Republicans have been pushing the issue especially hard over the past few months. The main cause of the change in position is the high gas prices that are hurting motorists across the country. Republicans would have everyone believe that allowing offshore drilling will have an almost immediate impact on lowering pump prices.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of economics knows that although more oil may be discovered offshore, it would still be years before drilling would begin and actually change the supply of gas in the country. Not to mention the large unknown of how much oil may actually be found.
The measure in Congress would allow drilling 50 miles from the shores of any states that will allow it, and allow drilling 100 miles from the rest.
While the Democrats are not supporting the measure in its current form, claiming that more safeguards would have to be put in place, it still marks a big shift from their long time position of staunch opposition. That just shows how powerful $4 gas is in the political realm. If only that power were used to fight global warming instead of accelerating it.
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