The minute I read the rebuttal letter from Tony Paskitti regarding increasing oil drilling (“Massive Drilling Effort Would Benefit U.S.,” Sentinel, Letters to the Editor, July 7), I ran to my keyboard to respond. While the figures presented sound wonderful, the realities of the “Black Gold Rush” are far different.
The “Drill, baby, drill” mentality is based upon selfishness. Refusal to act responsibly and reduce U.S. oil dependency is promoted by those who would glut the entire Eastern seaboard with oil rigs so individuals who own gas-guzzlers can continue to overindulge themselves while risking other lives.
In 2001 Vice President Richard Cheney held a White House energy meeting. Spikes in gas prices spiraled out of control ever since. Why? Greed, pure and simple. “Big Oil” makes far too many excuses for price gouging. It’s pretty easy to blame OPEC. But half of all Middle Eastern oil fields are owned and operated by “Big Oil.” Need proof? Google those oil fields and noteAmerican “Big Oil” names on oil silos there.
The “Drill, baby, drill” crowd compares numbers of oil spills to airline crashes. Airline crashes don’t destroy land, soil or water for generations … oil spills do. Oil spills damaged thousands of miles of Gulf seabeds and Alaskan wilderness. In July 2011 a massive spill in Montana contaminated the Yellowstone River. Once again, this spill was far larger than Exxon first admitted.
If New Jersey really wants to increase revenues, start with oversized, bull-nosed vehicles. Increase vehicle-registration costs, then watch how fast those vehicles disappear. This is also true of New Jersey’s auto insurance. Why should New Jerseyans driving fuel-efficient vehicles pay the same auto-insurance rate as those who own gas-guzzlers that cost taxpayers more to clean up the air, water and soil they pollute more?
In a single fiscal quarter in 2009 and again in 2010, Exxon amassed record-breaking profits not seen in a decade — profits that came from individuals owning gas-guzzlers and paying $100 a tank that lasts two days. Imagine New Jersey beaches with a horizon full of offshore drilling rigs. Imagine the enormous disaster one spill would be. Tourism would end, and forget fishing industries. With the massive spills “Big Oil” had in barely two decades, only gambler mentalities can’t see these risks.
Irrefutable fact: Petrochemicals are known carcinogens. Texas has underground carcinogenic petrochemical plumes emanating from oil rigs rising to the ground surface. Those “funny” white patches 20 miles from oil rigs aren’t so funny anymore. If we continue buying gas-guzzlers, we’ll end up like Texans, suffering increasing incidences of lung diseases from heavily polluted air.
It’s selfish to demand we drill every drop of oil from the planet when it’s unnecessary. Hybrids sell in the millions — “Big Oil” hates this. It’s why they coerced Republicans to end funding for solar energy, which just happens to be New Jersey’s newest industry creating jobs. Five homes in Hopewell are totally off the electric grid. Increasingly, homeowners in Old Bridge act responsibly and switch to solar. I work in a totally solar building that was converted three years ago. There is no difference in summer or winter in overall comfort.
With technological advancements, gasoline stations will disappear, replaced by charging stations. Pull in and exchange your car’s fuel battery in less time than it takes to fill up with gas.
Promoting oil drilling is irresponsible and selfish. The more oil drilled, the more petrochemical pollution increases. Breathe air loaded with petrochemicals and see how long your children’s lives will be. The “Drill, baby, drill” brigade calls this fear-mongering. They hate facts. They know petrochemicals used in refining oil cause cancer. Sheer stupidity ignores facts just to overindulge a tiny minority who think life on the planet is all about them.
To those who cry “Drill, baby, drill,” my response is, “In your own backyard.”
EleanoreWhitaker Old Bridge