<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Cost-benefit analysis can help environmentalists battle offshore drilling]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Laurence Aurbach http://www.grist.org/article/fighting-the-full-court-press/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:54:57 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/fighting-the-full-court-press/1 Straw Man?

I wonder if you aren't creating a straw man to argue against. Every position that I've seen opposing more offshore drilling is based on cost benefit analysis. To summarize, the position usually goes like this: The effect on gases prices will be minimal -- a few pennies per gallon at best -- and the potential harms to the tourism industry could be major and lasting.

That's why there is bi-partisan opposition to increased drilling.

Here's another question: Are you really sure that CBA will support the anti-drilling position? After all, there have been no major spills from Gulf of Mexico oil extraction in the past 30 years. Drilling platforms that transport oil via pipeline have a good environmental record. It is oil tankers that have a high spill risk.

Furthermore, oil platforms function as large artificial reefs that support big increases in marine life. And sprawling tourist/vacation home development is notorious for damaging critical and sensitive lands, increasing water demand, increasing traffic, etc.

Maybe the argument against offshore drilling will come down to nonmonetary factors, like a responsibility to future generations that would lead us to decrease oil use and CO2 emissions, and increase renewable energy.

Ped Shed Blog

]]> Straw Man?

I wonder if you aren't creating a straw man to argue against. Every position that I've seen opposing more offshore drilling is based on cost benefit analysis. To summarize, the position usually goes like this: The effect on gases prices will be minimal -- a few pennies per gallon at best -- and the potential harms to the tourism industry could be major and lasting.

That's why there is bi-partisan opposition to increased drilling.

Here's another question: Are you really sure that CBA will support the anti-drilling position? After all, there have been no major spills from Gulf of Mexico oil extraction in the past 30 years. Drilling platforms that transport oil via pipeline have a good environmental record. It is oil tankers that have a high spill risk.

Furthermore, oil platforms function as large artificial reefs that support big increases in marine life. And sprawling tourist/vacation home development is notorious for damaging critical and sensitive lands, increasing water demand, increasing traffic, etc.

Maybe the argument against offshore drilling will come down to nonmonetary factors, like a responsibility to future generations that would lead us to decrease oil use and CO2 emissions, and increase renewable energy.

Ped Shed Blog

]]> Comment #2 by bigtvstar http://www.grist.org/article/fighting-the-full-court-press/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:50:15 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/fighting-the-full-court-press/2 Safe Offshore Drilling?

Sure, no major spills from Gulf of Mexico drilling in the past 30 years.  But one should remember that before the Exxon Valdez ran into Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound in 1989, there had never been a majore oil spill there.  They said the Alaska Pipeline wouldn't leak, but all it took was some lax maintenance, and the leaks began.  In Florida, the Everglades just got a major shot in the arm with the state's plan to buy out U.S. Sugar and restore water flow, but a Gulf oil spill would be carried by the Gulfstream right into the Bay of Florida where it would devestate the estuaries there.  Not to mention the loss to Florida of tourist business with oil-soaked beaches.
Besides, the restriction to offshore drilling has only applied to the leasing of new areas by Big Oil.  There are already many square miles of leased locations in the Gulf being held by oil companies who are not proceeding with drilling.  If they wanted to accelerate drilling, they already control vast areas where the process could begin.  Big Oil wants the restriction lifted not so they can rush out and drill, but so they can rush out and tie up new sites for future drilling if and when they decide to do so.
Ask yourself, if you were raking in obscene profits from record high gas prices, would you be in a hurry to spend millions in an effort to drive the prices - and your profits - down?
President Bush just commented that the release of offshore drilling restrictions would have no immediate impact on oil supplies, but would have an impact on the "psychology" of the situation. Translated, no relief is in sight, but people will feel better.

Do good deeds. People will be suspicious, but do them anyway.




]]> Safe Offshore Drilling?

Sure, no major spills from Gulf of Mexico drilling in the past 30 years.  But one should remember that before the Exxon Valdez ran into Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound in 1989, there had never been a majore oil spill there.  They said the Alaska Pipeline wouldn't leak, but all it took was some lax maintenance, and the leaks began.  In Florida, the Everglades just got a major shot in the arm with the state's plan to buy out U.S. Sugar and restore water flow, but a Gulf oil spill would be carried by the Gulfstream right into the Bay of Florida where it would devestate the estuaries there.  Not to mention the loss to Florida of tourist business with oil-soaked beaches.
Besides, the restriction to offshore drilling has only applied to the leasing of new areas by Big Oil.  There are already many square miles of leased locations in the Gulf being held by oil companies who are not proceeding with drilling.  If they wanted to accelerate drilling, they already control vast areas where the process could begin.  Big Oil wants the restriction lifted not so they can rush out and drill, but so they can rush out and tie up new sites for future drilling if and when they decide to do so.
Ask yourself, if you were raking in obscene profits from record high gas prices, would you be in a hurry to spend millions in an effort to drive the prices - and your profits - down?
President Bush just commented that the release of offshore drilling restrictions would have no immediate impact on oil supplies, but would have an impact on the "psychology" of the situation. Translated, no relief is in sight, but people will feel better.

Do good deeds. People will be suspicious, but do them anyway.




]]>