Final

Stop Drilling, Start Saving

Drilling for oil is an unsafe practice, both for the individuals involved and for our planet. The perfect example of what can happen when things go wrong is the BP oil spill that happened last year. Wells are being drilled too deep and not being maintained properly, and as a result it is the consumer who pays the price (Margolis, 2010). The money it took to help the family’s that had job losses and the company’s that suffered the hit from lack of tourist had to come from somewhere, and it was a combination of the government and BP who paid to help get these people back on their feet. The money used for recovery could have gone towards making a better way to improve the way we use fuel. President Obama has the right idea by trying to get away from importing our fuel from another country, which is one of the many reasons that we pay so much for gas. As a whole we are far too dependent on the use of fossil fuels, when we should be looking at other alternatives that could end up saving tax dollars in the long run. One of the main reasons many are willing to just drill another hole in the earth is because of their resistance to change. There are some the feel that things are advancing too fast or it may cost too much. However, when looking at the concept as a whole and for the future, going green would help us in many ways such as saving in gas costs and reducing the amount of damage that is being done to the earth (Reilly & Crimmins, 2011). Another reason for the resistance to going green is the financial aspect. What are the big oil companies supposed to do when their products are no longer as necessary as they once were? One way that we could overcome these habits would be to take one of the new hybrids out for a trial run. If an individual can see the difference in how it feels to drive one compared to the older vehicles, and experience the benefit of cutting gas cost in half, maybe the experience could enlighten individuals on...