Don't forget the energy star program. After all, everyone needs a gas powered alarm clock!

Thats the problem with the truth Hal-- Nobody wants or can stand to hear it spoken out loud. I was always brought up to tell the truth and that has gotten me in more sh*t than I care to remember, but it doesn't stop me from saying it! Somebodys got to do it to keep things balanced!!!

I'll give you #2 and #3 but it sounds to me as if you yourself are undecided about #1.

This part is as good a paragraph as I've read anywhere about oil.

"We all share some of the blame for the oil in the Gulf. As is so often said, freedom is not free. It means taking responsibility, being more self-sufficient, finding a new and better way. When somebody threatens you by saying, “You will perish if you don’t keep buying what I’m selling, and you better not complain about how I get it, or how much it costs!” The proper American answer is not “Gee, okay.” It’s “Oh yeah?” We are to blame for the laziness and fear we have showed so far, I guess."

Good one that.

Conservationist:
Number 1 is almost a Straw Man Argument. We chose to drill in the Gulf because it was out of sight and out of mind. Fishermen thought it was good because it created habitat where there had been none. Ergo, it was good. You imply that the only alternative is Mideast Oil. In fact, ANWAR could have been developed. Wells in shallow water could have been drilled. We can drill laterally, under the Great Lakes, and pull oil and gas with no aperture between the lakes and the reserves. We don't do any of this because its politically incorrect. We have many options, much safer than deep water drilling, that we can pursue.
Number 2, your spot on. We've just learned that many of the federal regulators have the same addiction to porn as the SEC regulators. For some reason, people who work for Uncle Sam feel that they're making a huge sacrifice to work there. As such, they don't feel that they really have to work.
Number 3, is also deceptive. You also imply here, that the only alternative is oil shale development. Again, the same points I alluded to in Number 1 apply here also.

Lets apply economics to this debate. When making the analysis, factor in the worst case scenario along with known costs and benefits. Also, please factor in the status quo. Oil seeps into the Gulf, and the Great Lakes naturally from natural fissures. Other countries, including Mexico, Cuba and China are drilling in the Gulf. If we chose to drill in ANWR, we would not have encountered the icy crystallized methane gas. Also, had there been a break, it would've been much easier to fix.

I want to see wind power developed. This doesn't mean I want Bald Eagles extinct.
I want to see biomass energy developed from forestry. This doesn't mean that I want to throw out proper forest management.
I want to see solar energy developed. I believe that this form of energy will eventually be the mainstay. However, we're years away from refining this technology so that its truly economic. But we've started and we should continue.
I marvel at our nuclear subs and aircraft carriers. Why can't we apply this technology for our domestic energy needs.
Where coal can be mined, both safely and without irreparable environmental damage, we should use that coal. That doesn't mean that I enjoy reading about miners being killed or trout streams permanently destroyed.
In short, if the shoe fits, wear it!

Your dragon list is missing a major dragon if not the only one! It's Bush and Chaney's fault!

This is merely intended as a joke. I find it comical that people are still on the blame Bush theory!

However I appreciate the open mindiness of the article because far to many people are pointing a finger at someone else for this tragedy. No one can predict an accident or prevent one, so the finger pointing can stop until we get this under control, then the poloticians and enviromentalist wacos can point their fingers all they want when this oil well is fixed. The fact is as stands it is an accident to the best of everyones knowledge. The only thing we have left to argue on this situation is how to fix the problem, not whoes to blame, and not to stop all oil drilling or any at all. As for alternative energy I'm all for it, but I also know it is far from being effective or a valid alternative to oil. It is inefficient, costly, and still poses more trouble to land mangement than oil wells, so until we figure out a fool proof alternative we need to supplement alternative energy as best we can for oil.

Wa Mnthunter, That is an assinine comment! We have the ability to supply our own energy within our own country and borders. I for one am opposed to foreign oil, but until we get the beauracratic nonsense under control, we have no choice to an extent. Also last I checked BP isn't the one who funded the terrorists who flew planes into the WTC, Pentagon, and God Bless those that died taking down the plane in PA!

Also what does that have to do with anything about the oil spill?

"No one can predict an accident or prevent one, so the finger pointing can stop until we get this under control, then the poloticians and enviromentalist wacos can point their fingers all they want"

Really? No one can prevent an accident? Accidents are just destined to happen?

Well, at least one person suspected this might happen...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/26/oil.spill.investigation/index.html

"You ignore the oil industry is the most important source of jobs in the region and pretend to be a friend of the fishing industry (which depends on oil) when you favor regulations that would put them out of business."

I am extremely sympathetic to the fact that the oil industry is a big supplier of jobs. However, so is the government. Should we never cut or eliminate a government program or department purely on the basis of loss of jobs? That's a terribly stupid reason to keep relying on oil.

I personally have put immense efforts into working towards our goal of sustainability. I refuse even an iota of blame that rightly goes to BP, for taking obscene risks and killing an entire biome. We don't have the big garden, the orchard and the livestock because it is convenient to do so, but because we think it is the right way to live and we feel we stand as examples to others. I get sick and tired of crooks and fools trying to whitewash their crimes and stupidities, not to mention those who think shouting something 3 times makes it true. Silly Sarah's attempt to blame "environmentalists" for this disaster is as unfounded in reason as the brainiacs who think nuking the leak would help. (Thermite, yes, Nukes No, and I don't care if the Russians tried it in the 70's, just NO).
Frankly in my book the CEO of any corporation connected with the Murder of the Gulf can be fed alive into a wood chipper for chum!

H.H., I'm doing my part by not driving and sitting here listening to the rants.

Even before British Petro successfully caps this well, BP will declare bankruptcy and not fund another dime. This is how big oil works their deals...

Hal

Now is it time for F&S to do a piece on Oil City Pa? It would help many of your readers to see an area horribly polluted by the oil industry for decades that is now once again home to eagles, osprey, and trout and bass and musky. Isn't it time to admit that we need oil, we can clean up after ourselves, and that we are all in this together?

I just feel good that capitalism is in control of our world and voting in a Democratic election is as important as voting for a prom queen. Too bad profit doesn't take into account pollution as we rape the earth and poison ourselves. Trickle down, my a$$! This industry is more powerful than all the governments, its a massive push that produces Billions in profits, isn't this price gauging? 4 dollars a liter?