We all know that the revolutionary Sen. John McCain, and his eager “babies” are keen on drilling for oil now more than ever. The GOP has been a haven for rich oil tycoons for years, so the “drill, baby, drill” phenomenon instituted at the Republican National Convention this year was hardly a surprise to these jaded leftist ears.
That’s why, upon receiving the news that last week, it was the Democrats that had pushed a bill lifting a 26-year ban on offshore drilling through the U.S. House of Representatives, my leftist heart sank. The legislation, supported by 221 Democrats and 15 Republicans, would open up literally millions of acres in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, some just 50 miles off the coastline, to drilling prospects. Hold the phone, Nancy Pelosi — 26 years and now you are letting those sneaky oil lobbies whine and dine their way into your similarly leftist heart?
Well, I was just about to lace up my hiking boots for an old-fashioned trek to the Capital to scold the government for its shady partnership with big oil companies when I noticed some interesting stipulations of this new bill: Oil companies would no longer relish in their tax benefits. Fifteen percent of electricity would have to be generated from renewable resources by 2020. The royalties to oil companies and the behavior of the oil companies themselves would be more heavily monitored.
Under the legislation, drilling would occur while the oil companies are under more scrutiny and surveillance, and advances in alternative energy would — potentially — be funded by the breaks these companies are not receiving. Regulation? Government involvement? Taking down the man? That sounds a little more like Pelosi and the democratic gang to me.
Still, have the Democrats usurped the catch phrase at the precise moment simply to garner support for the presidential election? Or can they deliver economically, politically and environmentally with increased regulation and investment for alternative energy projects?
While any kind of new drilling — especially offshore — is far from the ideal solution planet-wise, the accompanying measures are certainly promising, if pursued across party and industry lines. Many environmentalists around the country will certainly be screaming ‘No whales for oil,’ and our focus should be the abatement of our dependence on oil rather than the search for more sources of energy.
But for now, the bill has taken on the oil companies and, if the regulation is strong and alternative energies are indeed funded by the money generated from oil, it can provide that small step toward a sustainable future.
