Obama to announce steps to speed oil drilling

[OnePimpTiger]

Obama to announce steps to speed oil drilling

With gas topping $4 a gallon, President Barack Obama on Saturday will announce new plans to speed up domestic drilling for oil.

In his weekly address to the nation, the president will outline his plans for what he calls "safe and responsible" oil production.

The Obama administration will speed up the leasing process for the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve, give oil companies better financial incentives to use their leases and extend all drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico so oil companies have more time to implement safety measures after the devastating BP oil spill.

He will also fast-forward the testing of areas off the east coast of the United States to see what oil resources are there and if it would be safe and commercially viable to drill.

The announcements come as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives recently passed several bills to open up drilling off the coasts of the United States.

Good move, but it's just playing politics. Isn't ironic that Obama was for reducing off-shore drilling while Congress was Democrat-controlled? Didn't take long to change that tune...hypocrite much? Maybe he has become enlightened and seen the error of his ways...I would love to hope so. But when does that ever happen in Washington?

[theonedru]

Like this will solve anything, its just more oil to produce more gasoline that will sell for the same ridiculously high price. Just another useless move by a useless politician who is in the pocket of the oil companies. Alternate fuel technology is the way to go any anyone with half a brain knows this but gasoline is like heroin and America is addicted.

[OnePimpTiger]

Like this will solve anything, its just more oil to produce more gasoline that will sell for the same ridiculously high price. Just another useless move by a useless politician who is in the pocket of the oil companies. Alternate fuel technology is the way to go any anyone with half a brain knows this but gasoline is like heroin and America is addicted.

So you've stopped using gasoline and oil products I take it? Relying solely on alternative energy sources?

[theonedru]

So you've stopped using gasoline and oil products I take it? Relying solely on alternative energy sources?

Me and the wife have done alot to reduce our needs on wasting non renewable resources, we live in Seattle so a vehicle is a little redundant to own in a big city so we gave our up years ago and rely on public transit, when we do feel the need for a vehicle we can rent an electric or a hybrid car or some eco friendly vehicle.

[INTIMADATOR2007]

From the look of the grillin the Oil company ceo's got from congress thursday the oil companies will not be getting any "better financial incentives", for a while . However it was the ceos that made congress look like fools ....Again !

[sanfran22]

Like this will solve anything, its just more oil to produce more gasoline that will sell for the same ridiculously high price. Just another useless move by a useless politician who is in the pocket of the oil companies. Alternate fuel technology is the way to go any anyone with half a brain knows this but gasoline is like heroin and America is addicted.

Yeah, that rediculous 3-6% profit is insane.......Heck, the US gov't makes more per gallon of gas I would imagine;)
It is about time he woke up and decided to drill again (hopefully).

[pwaldo]

I was under the impression that we don't have a shortage of oil it is that the refineries can't process it fast enough or into the various blends of gasoline that we need. So drilling doesn't really do anything if you haven't opened up new refineries in the past 30 years.

Plus a point somebody else brought up is that when they drill for oil they aren't obligated to sell it here. They can sell it to Canada, Europe, China, etc. So if the demand in China and India continues to skyrocket they aren't going to sell us cheap gas if they are willing to pay double what we want to pay.

[OnePimpTiger]

Me and the wife have done alot to reduce our needs on wasting non renewable resources, we live in Seattle so a vehicle is a little redundant to own in a big city so we gave our up years ago and rely on public transit, when we do feel the need for a vehicle we can rent an electric or a hybrid car or some eco friendly vehicle.

That didn't answer my question, though. It's great to reduce, but are you ready to completely do without oil and the products/services that require it? Alternative energy sources are great and should definitely be invested in. But if you consider a single family, it is extremely inefficient and expensive to live without oil. It is impossible for a single town to be completely independent of oil. Invest, research, and develop alternative energy sources, most definitely. But until they are feasible on a town, county, state, national level, other, more practical energy sources must be utilized.

Yeah, that rediculous 3-6% profit is insane.......Heck, the US gov't makes more per gallon of gas I would imagine;)
It is about time he woke up and decided to drill again (hopefully).

Most definitely. The government makes as much or more in taxes than the "greedy" oil companies make in profit.

[duane1969]

That didn't answer my question, though. It's great to reduce, but are you ready to completely do without oil and the products/services that require it? Alternative energy sources are great and should definitely be invested in. But if you consider a single family, it is extremely inefficient and expensive to live without oil. It is impossible for a single town to be completely independent of oil. Invest, research, and develop alternative energy sources, most definitely. But until they are feasible on a town, county, state, national level, other, more practical energy sources must be utilized.

Most people who consider themselves "green" have no idea just how not-green they are. I was shocked when I saw the list of petroleum based products that we use in day-to-day life...

Ammonia, Balloons, Ballpoint pens, Bandages, Umbrellas, Cameras, Candles, Carpets, Caulking, Combs, Cosmetics, Crayons, Credit Cards, Curtains, Deodorants, Detergents, Disposable Diapers, Dolls, Dyes, Eye Glasses, Electrical Wiring Insulation, Fishing Rods, Fishing Line, Fishing Lures, Food Packaging, Garden Hose, Glue, Hair Coloring, Hair Curlers, Hand Lotion, Hearing Aids, Ink, Insect Repellant, Insecticides, Linoleum, Lip Stick, Milk Jugs, Nail Polish, Panty Hose, Perfume, Petroleum Jelly, Rubber Cement, Rubbing Alcohol, Shampoo, Shaving Cream, Shoes, Toothpaste, Trash Bags, Upholstery, Vitamin Capsules, Water Pipes, Yarn

...and that is just some of the stuff, nevermind all of the products that don't have petroleum in them but use petroleum to be manufactured.

[theonedru]

Most people who consider themselves "green" have no idea just how not-green they are. I was shocked when I saw the list of petroleum based products that we use in day-to-day life...

Ammonia, Balloons, Ballpoint pens, Bandages, Umbrellas, Cameras, Candles, Carpets, Caulking, Combs, Cosmetics, Crayons, Credit Cards, Curtains, Deodorants, Detergents, Disposable Diapers, Dolls, Dyes, Eye Glasses, Electrical Wiring Insulation, Fishing Rods, Fishing Line, Fishing Lures, Food Packaging, Garden Hose, Glue, Hair Coloring, Hair Curlers, Hand Lotion, Hearing Aids, Ink, Insect Repellant, Insecticides, Linoleum, Lip Stick, Milk Jugs, Nail Polish, Panty Hose, Perfume, Petroleum Jelly, Rubber Cement, Rubbing Alcohol, Shampoo, Shaving Cream, Shoes, Toothpaste, Trash Bags, Upholstery, Vitamin Capsules, Water Pipes, Yarn

...and that is just some of the stuff, nevermind all of the products that don't have petroleum in them but use petroleum to be manufactured.

Now ask yourself how many thing have to have petroleum and in how many products can the petroleum be replaced, We do need to drive vehicles powered by gas but due to the addiction we are lead to believe it has to be..