To drill, or not to drill

By John Eidson

More drilling alone is not the answer to $4/gallon gasoline, but it could help prevent far higher prices down the road.

At every turn, radical environmentalism prevents any effort to increase domestic supplies of gasoline and other forms of energy:

* NO to drilling in ANWR

* NO to new offshore drilling leases

* NO to new refineries

* NO to developing oil shale reserves

* NO to developing tar sand reserves

* NO to coal-to-oil conversion

* NO to new hydroelectric plants

* NO to nuclear power

Everyone wants to protest the great outdoors, but Congressional support of environmental extremism is pushing our economy to the brink.

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More than two years have passed since CNNMoney.com reported plans for Chinese companies to drill off the coast of Cuba, yet Congress continues to block any effort to increase domestic production of oil and gas.

Democrats argue that American oil companies have not drilled on many of the offshore leases they already have. There is a good reason for that -- offshore drilling leases are not created equal. Oil companies are naturally reluctant to risk exploration of leases that may not be commercially viable.

The bottom line is foreign companies will soon be drawing reserves from the same offshore field that lies in U.S. waters off the coast of southern Florida. But instead of being developed by American companies, much of that oil will likely be sold to us at inflated prices by China and Cuba.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/09/news/economy/oil_cuba/index.htm

John Eidson is a white conservative who takes great pleasure in black success.