This is the first article in an occasional series examining students’ opinions relating to the oil and gasoline price hikes.
Though President George W. Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling on Monday, student columnists and editorial boards have been weighing in on the issue ever since oil prices spiked. Below are three of the best articles and an editorial cartoon about the issues.
Column: Potential impact of offshore oil
Source | The Independent Florida Alligator
Radical environmentalists (bless their well–intentioned souls) have portrayed oil rigs as ready–made cataclysms, but a moment away from oozing black catastrophe into our oceans and onto our beaches. While this may have been closer to the truth many decades ago, it is far from an accurate characterization today. In an effort to protect, not only the environment, but the profitable oil they extract from it, corporations have dramatically improved the safety of drilling practices. Read only.
Column: Drilling not quick, not a fix
Source | Daily Illini
As gas prices creep higher, so too does the rhetoric from our political leaders. The problem is that the buzzed-about solution this week - offshore drilling - is just pie in the sky, according to experts. In his 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush flatly stated, “America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. Read more.
Column: Offshore oil drilling fixes nothing
Source | The Daily Iowan
The possibility of offshore drilling has become increasingly popular as gas prices continue to burden American drivers. However, given the evidence, a recent proposal floated by Republicans is seriously flawed, to say the least. Just as removing a bucket of water from a lake does little to bring down its level, offshore drilling appears thoroughly unable to have a significant effect on oil prices. Read more.
Editorial Cartoon: Offshore drilling
Source | Independent Florida Alligator
