Why I STILL Have No Thrill for the Drill

(Cross-posted at MyDD and Democratic PartyBuilder)

You know, I love Jerome Armstrong. I really do. When so many of us Hillary Clinton Democrats were being bashed around everywhere else, he provided us with a warm & welcoming home over at MyDD. I'll always appreicate him for that. Oh yeah, and he's wicked smart as well!



But you know what, Barack Obama is our Democratic nominee. I've made peace with that. Oh yes, and I really like his energy & environment plan. And while I agree with Jerome on many other matters, I just have to disagree with him on this.











Sorry, but I simply don't see the logic of agreeing to the Bush-Cheney energy "plan" of attempting to solve all our problems by drilling for more oil! It simply makes no sense. It's a fleeting political fad that will soon fade, and worse yet it will do NOTHING to solve our energy crisis.



Believe me, lifting the offshore drilling ban will NOT lower gas prices. No, it really won't.  Oh yes, and more offshore drilling would destroy our coastline. Do we really want to lose our beaches and our coastal wildlife forever to do nothing about the energy crisis? And no matter how much the Rethuglicans tell us how "stupid" we are to be "Dr. No", we don't have to cave into them... We already have the facts on our side!




So what can we actually do to relieve the pain at the pump in the near term while also focusing on real energy solutions for the long term? Well, we can simply encourage the oil comapnies to drill on those 68 million acres of federal land where they already have leases! There, problem solved!



And at the same time, we can begin investing in our energy future. Invest in better conservation measures. Invest in clean, renewable energy. This is our energy future. T. Boone Pickens, the Center for American Progress, and many more real experts now agree that our future rests not with the same ol' oil, but with new ideas.



Let's face the facts. We're running out of oil. We're in the midst of a dangerous climate crisis. We need real solutions, not political gimmicks.



And btw, let's all support those who are calling for real solutions... Just an idea! ;-)