Here's what some in Congress and other experts say<br />
Congressman Ben Chandler"Some of my colleagues want to give oil companies still more land for drilling such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska, but I do not think the solution is to give them more acreage to drill for resources they can already access. Even if additional public lands were opened up for the offshore drilling of oil, it would have little if any immediate impact on the price of gas. In fact, a 2007 study by the Department of Energy concluded that opening up offshore drilling ?would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before the year 2030.?<br />
http//chandler.house.gov/ArticleDetails.aspx?NewsID=1465<br />
<br />
Speaker Nancy Pelosi<br />
"There are 68 million acres of federal land already leased by oil companies for energy production now but sitting idle. That?s 75% of leased lands, sitting idle. Oil companies should drill what they have leased?and lease lands already open for drilling first. But instead, President Bush and Congressional Republicans want to make this a fight about our beaches and our threatened wilderness areas, in an apparent attempt to help the oil companies lock up more public lands before he leaves office."<br />
http//www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0234"If we were to drill today, realistically speaking, we should not expect a barrel of oil coming out of this new resource for three years, maybe even five years, so let's not kid ourselves," said Fadel Gheit, oil and gas analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. Equity Capital Markets Division."<br />
<br />
After eight years, President Bush and [Vice President] Dick Cheney have turned the GOP into the Gas and Oil Party. That's the legacy that they are going to leave," said Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming."The White House has become a ventriloquist for the oil and gas industry, repeating the requests of the oil and gas industry that they be allowed to destroy the most pristine areas of our country," Markey added. <br />
<br />
Congressional Democrats introduced a bill last week to compel oil companies to begin utilizing federal land they already lease. <br />
<br />
"Oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres they have already leased from the American people for the purpose of oil and natural gas production," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey. "It is about time they use these resources already at their disposal instead of waiting for more federal handouts and pushing to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or up and down our coasts," he added.<br />
<br />
Opponents of offshore drilling say it would harm aquatic ecosystems by eroding wetlands, contaminating the water with chemicals, polluting the air, killing fish and dumping waste.<br />
http//www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/18/bush.offshore/<br />
<br />
In addition, China is not drilling offshore here.<br />
Report No Chinese Offshore Drilling Near Cuba<br />
By Ryan Grim<br />
http//www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/12/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4177282.shtml<br />
<br />
<br />
I have not speculated at all and back up what I say with reliable sources. <br />
The oil and gas analyst for Oppenheimer, Congressman Ben Chandler, and many analysts agree that it would be years before offshore drilling would have any impact.<br />
http//www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/20/new_offshore_drilling_not_a_quick_fix_analysts_say/<br />
<br />
"The assertion that China was drilling "very close to our shore" echoed a claim made by Vice President Dick Cheney -- citing nationally syndicated columnist George Will -- in a June 11 speech to the United States Chamber of Commerce that both Cheney and Will have since corrected."<br />
<br />
There is exploration,' said Johanna Mendelson-Forman, a senior fellow on energy and Latin America at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said China's oil company, Sinopac, has conducted exploratory drilling on a lease on land in western Cuba, but is not involved in the offshore development."<br />
http//mediamatters.org/items/2008070200<br />
If there is no oil on the land they have leased, they need to give it up so something useful can be done with it, and If there is oil, they need to get started and shut up about leasing more land.<br />
Really, Robert B., CBS, CNN, and the House Speaker are unreliable? That is too silly to answer. I take it you think you are more reliable.<br />
No I would not have us be a third world nation. I would have us be a sensible nation, and not allow oil companies to mindlessly destroy the Earth we live on to make billions more, when it is totally unnecessary. Why do you suppose gas prices didn't go down after Bush attacked Iraq? What would make anyone think the prices would go down if the oil companies get what they want again? Time to wake up and start thinking about what is good for us, not what is good for the rich oil barons. They have driven up the prices of everything, not just oil, while they lined their own pockets. They are already destroying the economy.<br />
Congressman Ben Chandler"Some of my colleagues want to give oil companies still more land for drilling such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska, but I do not think the solution is to give them more acreage to drill for resources they can already access. Even if additional public lands were opened up for the offshore drilling of oil, it would have little if any immediate impact on the price of gas. In fact, a 2007 study by the Department of Energy concluded that opening up offshore drilling ?would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before the year 2030.?<br />
http//chandler.house.gov/ArticleDetails.aspx?NewsID=1465<br />
<br />
Speaker Nancy Pelosi<br />
"There are 68 million acres of federal land already leased by oil companies for energy production now but sitting idle. That?s 75% of leased lands, sitting idle. Oil companies should drill what they have leased?and lease lands already open for drilling first. But instead, President Bush and Congressional Republicans want to make this a fight about our beaches and our threatened wilderness areas, in an apparent attempt to help the oil companies lock up more public lands before he leaves office."<br />
http//www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0234"If we were to drill today, realistically speaking, we should not expect a barrel of oil coming out of this new resource for three years, maybe even five years, so let's not kid ourselves," said Fadel Gheit, oil and gas analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. Equity Capital Markets Division."<br />
<br />
After eight years, President Bush and [Vice President] Dick Cheney have turned the GOP into the Gas and Oil Party. That's the legacy that they are going to leave," said Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming."The White House has become a ventriloquist for the oil and gas industry, repeating the requests of the oil and gas industry that they be allowed to destroy the most pristine areas of our country," Markey added. <br />
<br />
Congressional Democrats introduced a bill last week to compel oil companies to begin utilizing federal land they already lease. <br />
<br />
"Oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres they have already leased from the American people for the purpose of oil and natural gas production," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey. "It is about time they use these resources already at their disposal instead of waiting for more federal handouts and pushing to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or up and down our coasts," he added.<br />
<br />
Opponents of offshore drilling say it would harm aquatic ecosystems by eroding wetlands, contaminating the water with chemicals, polluting the air, killing fish and dumping waste.<br />
http//www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/18/bush.offshore/<br />
<br />
In addition, China is not drilling offshore here.<br />
Report No Chinese Offshore Drilling Near Cuba<br />
By Ryan Grim<br />
http//www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/12/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4177282.shtml<br />
<br />
<br />
I have not speculated at all and back up what I say with reliable sources. <br />
The oil and gas analyst for Oppenheimer, Congressman Ben Chandler, and many analysts agree that it would be years before offshore drilling would have any impact.<br />
http//www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/20/new_offshore_drilling_not_a_quick_fix_analysts_say/<br />
<br />
"The assertion that China was drilling "very close to our shore" echoed a claim made by Vice President Dick Cheney -- citing nationally syndicated columnist George Will -- in a June 11 speech to the United States Chamber of Commerce that both Cheney and Will have since corrected."<br />
<br />
There is exploration,' said Johanna Mendelson-Forman, a senior fellow on energy and Latin America at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said China's oil company, Sinopac, has conducted exploratory drilling on a lease on land in western Cuba, but is not involved in the offshore development."<br />
http//mediamatters.org/items/2008070200<br />
If there is no oil on the land they have leased, they need to give it up so something useful can be done with it, and If there is oil, they need to get started and shut up about leasing more land.<br />
Really, Robert B., CBS, CNN, and the House Speaker are unreliable? That is too silly to answer. I take it you think you are more reliable.<br />
No I would not have us be a third world nation. I would have us be a sensible nation, and not allow oil companies to mindlessly destroy the Earth we live on to make billions more, when it is totally unnecessary. Why do you suppose gas prices didn't go down after Bush attacked Iraq? What would make anyone think the prices would go down if the oil companies get what they want again? Time to wake up and start thinking about what is good for us, not what is good for the rich oil barons. They have driven up the prices of everything, not just oil, while they lined their own pockets. They are already destroying the economy.<br />