Why US environmentalists should support offshore drilling

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The argument, according to Dr. Simon Donner, Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, goes something like this: if we're going to use oil we should be responsible citizens of the world and drill for our own, while talking about consumption (Escalade and Hummer owners are craving a debate on this topic).

Drilling on the outer continental shelf may be a poor option because of the low amount of recoverable oil and because it distracts from the real issues Americans are facing. But those of us living in the most consumptive of continents need to face the reality of the 21st century.

This drilling decision could be a watershed moment for the environmental movement. Environmentalists can sit on the sidelines and despair over the lack of rational political discourse on climate and energy policy, or they can get out there and talk about the linkages between local consumption and environmental degradation abroad – about the cascade caused by our decisions.

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Environmentalists can sit on the sidelines and despair over the lack of rational political discourse on climate and energy policy, or they can get out there and talk about the linkages between local consumption and environmental degradation abroad – about the cascade caused by our decisions.

Let’s use this decision to talk about protecting coastlines around the world, not just at home. And let's use it to find the real, equitable answers to climate change and future energy needs.

http://theenergycollective.com/TheEnergyCollective/63109?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Apparently he hasn't considered that drilling for more oil might make it cheaper and encourage more consumption, in his quest to protect coastlines around...Saudi Arabia. Or somewhere. :silly: