Oil: A Temporary Solution to a Permanent Problem

No matter how hard we might wish we could simply drill our way to energy independence, it is simply not possible, and the sooner we learn this, the better. Dirty fossil fuels like oil and gas are not the future. They are a temporary solution at best, one that we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy for over a century of rapid industrialization. But as countries like China, India, and Brazil enter into new stages of their industrial revolutions, resources are only going to become much more scarce, perhaps much faster than we’d originally planned.

For example, China has already begun stockpiling uranium, the compound essential for nuclear reactors. China’s own Prime Minister has personally traveled to Nigeria and made deals that are expected to drive up the price of uranium by over 30 percent next year. The same is inevitable for oil and natural gas. Unless the United States wants to deal increasingly with other nations, many of whom are hostile to our values—such as countries in the Middle East and the oil barons in Russia and China—we need to act now.

Unfortunately, unlike some proponents maintain, drilling for oil and gas domestically is not the answer either. Even if we drilled in every square inch of available water, the United States still would not have enough to support our ever-growing energy appetite. And besides, creating new rigs offshore takes years of bureaucratic blue tape, exploration, and lease bidding to become feasible solutions. By that time, we could have been well on our way to developing real energy solutions, like solar, wind, and biomass. Creating a green, independent future will take time, so why waste it by developing temporary solutions to a permanent problem?

SC Energy Forum code name for big oil

This past Tuesday, Conservation Voters was as disappointed as we always are when we see a letter written by a proponent of offshore drilling who captures his or her audience with misguided “energy independence” rhetoric. (Read the Sun News article here:) But this time we were especially outraged when we realized the source.

The South Carolina Energy Forum sounds noble enough—“a growing community of concerned citizens committed to two goals—achieving energy security for our country and holding our elected officials more accountable in shaping energy policies."

But make no mistake: the South Carolina Energy Forum is a front group for the oil companies, and the American Petroleum Institute in particular. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that they are fighting hard to expand offshore drilling. And they are working to attack industries like wind, solar, and biomass that have real potential to replace fossil fuels. 


That is why Conservation Voters wants all of its supporters to become aware of the true nature of this misleading “South Carolina Energy Forum.” After all, do we really want to find out what happens when we keep big oil in charge? They already had their chance, and unfortunately for all of us, they blew it.

More resources:
-The SC Energy Forum’s Website can be found at: . Write in to express your discontent over big oil purposefully misleading the American people and unjustly taking charge over SC politics.
-The Sun News article can be found at: . Comment to help inform the public about the true intent of this agency.