Drill or Not to Drill

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Drill or not to drill

To drill or not to drill

Timothy Burton

HUM111

June 24, 2012

Kristen Stinson

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Drill or not to drill

The topic of fossil fuels vs. renewable energy is a big debate. I would have to say that I am on the fence about it. This is because that the use of fossil fuels is out dated by almost a half of a century. We need to find a better energy source that is better for the environment and cheaper. With that being said it takes fossil fuel to do this, the windmills that we put up for power take trucks to build and equipment that runs of fossil fuel to clear the land. So this is where the need of fossil fuels comes into play.

Being self-reliant when it comes to fossil fuels can not only break us from the chains that attach us to other countries but it can redesign our economy. By building oil platforms both land and sea will create jobs. This in turn increases the amount of money being spent by consumers. Having our own oil will also help lower the prices of our commodities. I feel that we are way too dependent on oil from other countries. With all of that being considered there is a massive risk when drilling in the deep waters of the oceans.

The big issue’s with doing our own drilling. Most of the world’s big oil deposits are miles below the ocean top. When it comes to drilling that deep in the water the risks build up. They are risks such as extreme pressure, heat, salt and gas. With these risks there is a chance of an explosion that would not only destroy the drill equipment but would set the oil platform on fire. If the oil bed would be reached and this happen the oil that would be released into the ocean would devastate the eco-system and the life. This has happened on more than one occasion. The most recent being the “BP” incident in the Gulf of Mexico, this incident shook many of the world’s governments but has not turned them away from drilling in...