Why is offshore drilling an issue?

      Most people in the world are somewhat familiar with the issue that humans face when it comes to our need for oil and gas. We need excessive amounts, the earth only has so much. A basic idea most people encapsulate, yet tje issue is so much more deep and complex. Yet, for a most part the we shall discuss three ways to determine the viability and usefulness of offshore drilling. When debating the topic, keep in mind the effect it will have on the environment, the effect it shall have on the economy, and finally the effect it will have on future generations. That might be somewhat confusing, but it's actually really simple.
    The people on Earth too commonly forget that this planet isn't all enduring, and that's definitely something to think about when drilling. Remember that even though this planet may seem so big, our very own race is capable of doing some real damage to it and possibly destroying and us and the planet one day. This should be the most important factor to weigh, seeing as when there is no Earth humans have no place to go.  Most people still freshly remember the BP oil spill from last year and how it hurt the economy so badly, and the potential for something like this to happen again is still there. Rachel Cernasky is a freelance journalist with her Master's degree in Communications and she currently writes for planetgreen.com, in her article on drilling she wrote, "Drilling projects will compromise the economic health of coastal communities, which rely on clean waters and intact ecosystems. Without proper understanding of how drilling will affect the ecosystem—or the ability to predict the future—these projects are also seen as risky and, for some of the leases in Alaskan waters, subject to challenge in the Court of Appeals because of a lack of sound science promising the environmental safety of drilling in these areas". Her concern for the environment is definitely valid, and should never be forgotten. This issue should be the forefront in in people's discussions on whether or not to pursue offshore drilling, but of course people must also never forget the need of it and the effect it will have on the economy.
      Think of the state of the nation right now, people are jobless. People are angry, and people need jobs. So maybe pursuing the offshore drilling will solve some of our issues it seems. It should create jobs, circulate money back into America, and supply us with more gasoline to lower the price of it. Yet, people need to really study and look into the need at a much deeper level. For example, according to Cernasky for nearly every 1 million dollars put into off shore drilling, creates more jobs than if 3 million dollars were put into clean energy technologies. So through these benefits and downfalls, it's important to never lose sight of a goal no mater what it shall be. For example, our goal is something along the lines of meeting the short term needs we have for oil and gas while maintaining economic stability and reserves for future generations. Yet, some people believe the most important factors have to deal with our foreign affairs and pursuit of oil in the Middle East, but they're missing the point. This isn't a very important factor to keep in mind because even though nations maybe mad if we take their oil, it's more important to make sure our planet is safe and the nation's economy will actually benefit from this oil. Overall, the subject and debate is very deep and complicated, but for future debates it's important to never lose sight on the environment, economic needs, and needs of future generations. For if we do lose sight on this, who knows where the world will be in even one hundred years.

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