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AlexEugenio
Ms.Ingram
EnglishHonors
16March2016
OilDrilling
Oildrillinghasbeenaninternationallycontroversialtopicformanyyearscausing
debates,protests,andevenriots.Thereasonoildrillinghassuchevensidestoitsargumentisbecausethe
populisissplitbetweendrillingoilandnot.Oildrillingiswhenoilrigsareputuptodrillholesbothon
landandinwaterinordertoreachoilreservesundertheearthssurface.Thiscausesterriblethingstothe
environmentwhichcausespeoplesuchasenvironmentaliststogetriledupaboutthetopic,butoilisabig
partofbothoureconomyandoureverydaylives.Almosteverythingweuseandconsumeusesupsome
kindofoilinsomewaysuchasplastics,cars,andevenfood.Thisiswhytherightthingtodoiscontinue
drillingoilsooureconomycanexpandcreatingmorejobs,makingtheUSmoreindependant,andgiving
usanabundanceofthethingweneedmost.
Thefirstpositiveofoildrillingisthatitwillcreatemorejobsintheeconomyoverall
raisingemploymentrateswhileloweringthenumberoffamiliesinpoverty.ThiswasprovenbytheAPI
whohaddoneastudywhichhadfoundthattheoilandenergyindustryhadsupported9.8millionjobsby
2011.Thisnumberhasraisedandwillcontinuetoraiseifwegivetheindustrythesupportweneedby
acceptingtheproductionofmoreoilrigsonourland.Somepeoplestillthinkhoweverthatoilrigswill
ruintheenvironmentforthepeoplewholiveonit.Theybelievethatthemachinery,lights,andgasflares
willruinthescenery.Mostpeoplewhoarenotenvironmentalistscanputtheriskasideasthejobscreated
byopeninguptheserigsaddoveratrilliondollarstotheAmericaneconomy,morethanhalfatrillion
beingfortheworkerswhoworkthejobs.Thisisapositiveforourcountrybecauseitdoesntjustgivethe
Governmentmoremoneytofundthingssuchasparks,schools,andwildlifepreserves,itgivesour


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countryinawhole,morepoweroverourcompetitors.Overall,thejobsthatoildrillingcreatesdoesnt
justhelplowerunemploymentrates,itraisesmoneyforourgovernmenttogivetothesmallcommunities
andpoweroveritscompetitors.
DrillingforoilalsohelpsourcountryinapositivewaybecauseitmakestheUSAmore
independentandlessreliantonforeignsourcesforoil.Thetopoilproducingcountriesaremostlycoming
fromthemiddleeastsincetheUSAsmainsourceofoilisfromdrillsinplacessuchasSaudiArabia,
Iraq,andIran,accordingtotheUSEnergyInformationAdministration.TheAmericandrillsinthemiddle
eastiscausingalotofconflictbetweentheUSandterroristsgroupssuchasAlqaedaandISIS.Opening
moreoilrigsintheUSlandwilllowertheseconflictsaswewillnotneedtostealtheoilfromtheMiddle
East.ThiswillmaketheUSmoresaferoverallandmoreabundantinitsownsourcesastheUSconsumes
themostoilforacountryintheworld.In2010,theUSAconsumed20%oftheoilproducedintheworld
whileonlyproviding2%oftheoilfromrigsonAmericanSoil.TheUSalsoimportedabout9million
barrelsofpetroleumadayin2014.Takingallthisoilwillmakeothercountriesthinkwearenotabundant
inourownresourcesandwewillfallifwearecutofffromforeignresources.Toshowtherestofthe
worldthatwedontrelyonothercountriestosupplyus,theUSmustopenuplandtodrillforitsownoil.
Somepeopleontheotherhandbelievethatopeningupafewoilrigsnearuswillnotmakeupforthe
hugeamountofoilweneed.DavidHelvarg,presidentoftheBlueFrontierCampaign,statesthatseeing
thattakingtheoilfromtheMiddleEasternsisnothelpinguswithouroilproblem,thentakingoilfrom
ourowncountrywillnotsatisfyiteitherandthattheonlywaytosolveouroilproblemisforustobeless
reliantonoil.OpeningupoilrigswillpositivelyimpacttherestoftheworldandthepeopleofAmerica
bymakingusmoreindependantandcooldownthetensionwehavewiththeMiddleEastandother
countries.
Openingupmoreoilrigsdoesnotjusthelpourgovernmentandthepeopleoftheenergy
andoilindustry,itshowspositivesforthenormal,everydaypersontoo.Havinganabundanceofoilwill


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maketheeconomyandlocaloilbusinessesricherwithsupplies.Notdrillingforoilhoweverwilllower
ouroverallabundanceofoil.Oilisusedinalmosteverythingintodaysworld.Weuseoilforfuel,food,
plastic,andgas.Ifwebecomelessreliantonoilandstopdrilling,wewilllosethingssuchasthiswhile
alsomakingoilscarce.Withoutoil,priceswillstartraisinguncontrollably.Democratsanddemocratic
supportersusuallydismisstheideaofdrillingoilbutduringthe2012election,republicanssuchasNewt
GingrichcalledoutObamafortheunusuallyhighgasprices.Hethensaidthatitisimpossibletodrillour
waytolowergasprices.AccordingtoapressreleasebytheEIAhowever,Obamaadmitsthat
American
oilproductionishelpingtopreventpricespikesintheworldoilmarket
.Thisbroughtupgoodpointsin
theargumentagainstObamasadministration.
OilpricescouldbeevenloweriftheObama
AdministrationwouldstopblockingincreasedAmericanenergyproductiononfederallands.Oildrilling
willsurelydecreasethepricesofproductssuchasgasolineanddieselfuelsurelyaseventhePresidentof
theUnitedStatesknowsso.
Toconclude,oildrillingisaverypositiveacttheUSneedstotakeadvantageof.Oil
drillingcreatesjobswhilealsobuildingtheeconomyandcountrywithbothindependenceandmoneyto
saveinsmallfamilybudgets.ItisproventhatopeningupmoreoilrigswillbenefitAmericasubstantially.
Eventhoughpeopledonotagreewiththefacts,theyarethesamepeoplewhowouldwanttoputothersin
dangerbysettingprotests,riots,andevenpracticingactsofterrorismtoproveapointthatisnoteven
worthproving.Tospreadawarenessofthegoodoildrillingwilldotous,supporttherepublican
candidateswhoknowtheimportanceofeconomicvalueandwealth.


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