CBS News: Reality Check On Offshore Drilling

[sabra]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/30/eveningnews/main4309471.shtml

(CBS) With gasoline hovering around $4.00 a gallon, a new poll shows two out of three Americans now agree with President Bush - that Congress should permit drilling on the outer continental shelf, CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports.

"Experts believe that currently restricted areas … could eventually produce up to 18 billion barrels of oil," Mr. Bush said in a recent speech.

...

According to the federal government's own Department of Energy, drilling off America's coasts would not have a significant impact on domestic oil production or prices before 2030. And off-shore leasing wouldn't even begin before 2012.

Why? Because the leasing process is cumbersome. And currently, there aren't enough rigs or workers or refineries to handle more oil.

Then there's this. Most of the U.S. offshore oil, almost 10 billion barrels, lie off the coast of California. But at the current rate of U.S. consumption - about 20.7 million barrels a day - that would be burned up in 16 months.

...

Opponents of the drilling say what's off our shores is a drop in the bucket.

Supporters say when the bucket is running dry, any little bit helps.

[nc4bo]

1. Dammit CBS what about the 68 million acres already leased?? Huh?

grrrrrrrrrrrrr............:nuke:

[ellacott]

4. I don't understand why a bigger point is made regarding those leases

It's very frustrating having this point ignored.

[justgamma]

8. How about oil exports

they should bring up that exports are up 33%. Nothing quarantees that the US would even get this oil.

http://www.forbes.com/reuters/feeds/reuters/2008/07/03/2008-07-03T190447Z_01_N03256409_RTRIDST_0_USA-OIL-EXPORTS-ANALYSIS.html

[ellacott]

13. Good point

[Muttocracy]

15. Biden did on MTP a few weeks back, and Obama did in MO yesterday. nt

[liberal N proud]

2. 2 out 3 Americans are stupid misinformed lazy idiots

[JaneQPublic]

5. They believe oil drilled this morning will be in their tanks this evening.

And I'm sure they believe the drilling could actually start today if those damn liberals would just get out of the way!

[liberal N proud]

11. Because they are told this by the talking heads and other morons

No one bothers to check facts for themselves.

[iamthebandfanman]

3. people are fucking stupid

yeah, lets give more stuff to the big oil companies...
cause theyve been oh so nice to us..


im sorry but i see everything that has been done in the last 8 years of this administration as being done on behalf of oil companies and their own pockets...

will this bullshit ever end?

[Clear Blue Sky]

6. Leave the gas prices where they are.

People drive less, the air is cleaner, less global warming, etc.

Conservation can work...

[napoleon_in_rags]

7. The republicans KNOW it won't help, its a political attack.

Tell the public that destroying that coral reef will cure cancer! That way, when sane people try to stop the destruction of the coral reef for no reason, the repukes can blame them and claim that the liberals want them to have cancer. Its cheap and disgusting.

[Beausoleil]

9. "Supporters say when the bucket is running dry, any little bit helps."

Sounds like an addict in denial.


"Just a little bit more."
"I don't care, I need it NOW."
"This is the last one, I promise."

[jtrockville]

10. George W. Bush - A Name You Can Trust

[Green Mountain Dem]

12. 2 out of 3 ......MY ASS !!!

Show me the poll data...If these assholes really believe this shit let's make them a deal. Tell these pukes that if they agree to draw down the Strategic Reserves by 20%, which will bring down price at the pump immediately, they can drill their asses off!! See if Big Oil would still be interested when oil drops to 50-60 bucks. CALL THEIR F***ING BLUFF!!

Better yet...call for a nationwide referendum and let's vote on it, after all it is OUR oil! There is no way that 2 out of 3 Americans approve of more drilling. I say DUMA (Drilling Unity My Ass)

[klyon]

16. If most of it is off the coast of Cal. then Cal. will decide not the federal

government and Florida will decide about their coast. Texas already decided and there coast like Louisiana's is already trashed. Tourists don't like swimming in oil pollution. I know I didn't.

[seasat]

14. Here's the official report from the Department of Energy

This is the report for where they are getting this data. It really points out how drilling every available area within US territories will not mean a thing to anyone except the big oil companies in both the short and long run.

Here's the summary paragraph:

The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.

This report needs to be promoted in every available media source.

[robertpaulsen]

17. If that's truly how the majority feels, then Wright was right.

And I'll join him with a full-throated, angry, bitter "GOD DAMN AMERICA!" God damn us all for fucking this planet over, but especially Americans if, after all the warnings we've received from Gore and the IPCC about how close to the tipping point our consumption of fossil fuels has taken us, the majority would rather play Russian Roulette with the survival of civilization just so they can save money at the pump. If this is the issue that puts McCain on top come November, then fuck this country to hell in a gas tank. If the majority of people in this country are really that self-centered, short-sighted and ignorant, this country deserves every ass-raping, child-killing karmic payback we have coming to us. I'd say, "I'm leaving this fucking country!", but that's the problem with Global Climate Change: NOWHERE TO FUCKING RUN TO!!! Thanks a million Crass Consumer Culture! Happy Motoring! To Oblivion and Beyond!!!:rant:

[Supersedeas]

18. now, the Media has to cough under its breath

[annabanana]

19. Again they didn't mention that the COMPANIES that would get to drill

wouldn't keep the oil in America. . .

[4_TN_TITANS]

20. Couric has gotten better, I think...

I swore her off when she first started at CBS, and what a shitty start it was. Her ratings have sobered her up from the Koolaid.