Offshore Drilling: Not the Answer

Dear President Bush,

In dire times like these, when fuel and energy are of the utmost importance to the American wallet, it is easy to bypass what we would consider morally correct in order to find a quick fix to our energy crisis. Although, many people consider offshore drilling a great way to fix the growing need for oil, I would implore you to look past the need for an immediate relief and appreciate the ill effects that offshore drilling would have on the environment in which we live.

When a time of crisis reigns over a mass of people, many times they look for the easiest solution, in terms of energy this would be the equivalent of offshore drilling. Although offshore drilling may help account for an increase in oil production in the U.S; there is no need to destroy our lands in order to provide the people with more burnable fossil fuels. Many times during offshore drilling, the environment is ignored in order for our economy to thrive. Offshore drilling can account for oil spills in the waters in which we drill. Many times species that are unique to the area are killed due to oil spills. Every year thousands of sea creatures lose their lives, or are somehow disabled due to oil spills in the ocean, caused by offshore drilling. The other environmental downfall that results from offshore drilling is the production of polluted water. This water, that contains oil and other chemicals made during oil production, can be harmful to dump in the water. Each year marine life are subjected to harmful environments due to the ill effects from oil production. The marine lives are not the only species that can be harmed by the effects of offshore drilling. Drilling is one of the major contributors to pollution in the air, which can destroy the ozone and the air that we as humans breathe. With all the negative effects that offshore drilling has on the environment there is no reason why should have to resort to such feeble attempts to gain oil.

I believe in a movement toward a more “green America”. I believe that as a nation we can find a solution to two of the major problems in our country, the economy and energy, with a progress toward a more environmentally friendly world. The development of a green nation can provide millions of jobs for people during an economic downslide and also answer the energy crisis. That is why I implore you not to write any legislation in your last few months as President of our dear country that would jeopardize the environment and call for a beginning of offshore drilling. The incoming President-Elect has a system ready to be put in place that would help research for alternative sources of energy while providing jobs for millions. Offshore drilling is not the answer to our energy crisis, so there is no reason to implement this inhumane practice in the latter end of your Presidency.

A Loving American Citizen, Adam Scott Ivusich (Photo credited to Minerals Management Service, US Department of the Interior)