wrote in message
...
On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 19:56:23 -0800, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

No, we drill on the couple square miles needed and leave the other
couple
million acres alone.

Right. We can helicopter it out. Sure.

Besides, the oil won't have much of an effect on the supply and it would
take years before it could be gotten.


We already have a pipeline and building it was a great "stimulus'
project. If we had to fix it up or extend it we would generate a lot
of new high tech jobs.
In spite of all the hand wringing, the environmental impact of that
project was minimal.
Saying it would take years to come online is not important. It will
take years to get any other energy source online too..
We don't have the power lines to use lots of the solar, wind or wave
schemes either and they come with a huge environmental impact.
It is virtually impossible to get permitting for new power lines these
days. Nobody talks about that. Do you want one in your back yard?

The difference is oil is a mature technology that we are already
prepared to use.



And it's a terrible pollution engine. If there's not much oil there (and
there isn't), and we have to build get more pipeline (yet more environ.
damage) to get it, what's the point of doing it? There's a new power grid
getting built (slowly), and we can certainly handle the electricity. It's
not all about huge panel farms. Panels should be on every new house, every
new office building, etc..

Power lines can be buried. Not everywhere, but if it's important enough it
usually can be done.


--
Nom=de=Plume