Campaign Issue: Offshore Oil Drilling (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

John McCain

John McCain supports lifting the federal ban on offshore drilling for oil and gas. McCain believes that offshore drilling would help solve America’s current energy crisis by making the U.S. less dependent on foreign energy sources.

As President, McCain says he would implement a system that would set firm limits on all greenhouse gas emissions. He would also invest $2 billion a year in clean coal technology. Coal is responsible for producing the majority of America’s electricity today. In an effort to make America more energy independent, McCain said he would provide funding to build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030.

McCain says he will issue a Clean Car Challenge to America’s automakers. Under the plan, a $5,000 tax credit would be given for every consumer who buys a zero-carbon-emissions car. McCain hopes the challenge will increase production of environmentally friendly cars. He also supports advancing technologies for hybrid, electric, and flex fuel vehicles.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama opposes ending a federal ban that prohibits offshore drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. He says that lifting the ban would only serve to benefit America’s big oil companies.

As the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, the United States must take the lead in the battle against global warming, says Obama. He vows to create a Global Energy Forum composed of the top energy-consuming nations in the world. This international committee would focus its attention on environmental issues and global energy.

Recognizing the serious threat that climate change poses to our planet, Obama says he would create a system that would dramatically reduce America’s carbon emissions. He would also invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to promote clean energy and conservation. That money would be used to increase the market for hybrid cars, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the move to a new digital electricity grid. Obama says he would double science and research funding for projects that use solar, wind, and biomass resources.

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Read this article for more information on the pros and cons of offshore drilling before you answer the questions:

Wellington chamber weighs pros, cons of offshore drilling
By Jason Parsley | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
August 17, 2008

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently had its monthly luncheon at Binks Forest Golf Club and invited two officials to discuss the pros and cons of offshore drilling.

John Koch, chairman of the 3,700-member Loxahatchee Group, the Sierra Club's local chapter, spoke against drilling, while Adam Guillette, state director of Americans for Prosperity, spoke in favor.

Koch said drilling would do nothing for gas prices, and even though drilling has become cleaner in recent years, there is still spillage, and some of that would eventually end up on Florida's beaches. He also said it would take years before the country saw any benefits from the drilling.

Guillette countered, saying that in order to become energy independent, the United States must lift the offshore drilling ban. He said gas prices would drop immediately once the ban was lifted.

President George W. Bush recently lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling, but Congress has yet to do so. Guillette said that when Bush lifted the ban, the price of a barrel of oil dropped $9.50. Two attendees, Alan Bostom and David Field, both of Wellington, said they did not hear anything new in the debate.

"I'm for drilling," Bostom said. Field said, "If it's safe, do it; if it's not safe, then don't do it."

According to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. in late June, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling.

"We need to investigate all [energy] avenues," said Heather Landstrom, executive director of the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center in Wellington. "If we do drill, it should not be allowed to hamper the creation of new technologies."

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/palmbeach/sfl-fldebate0817pna...

Florida Sun Sentinel

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Do you think that people in South Florida (where Wellington is) are biased about this issue? Why?

Do you think that investing time and money in off-shore drilling will take away from the development of other energy options to stop America's reliance on oil?

What is your opinion on off-shore drilling overall?

Do you agree with John McCain more on this issue, or Barack Obama?

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