by George Nicholas -

A month ago the Obama Administration advised that it had come to the thoughtful decision to pursue offshore drilling that it determined to be in the best interests of the United States of America. Yes, the domestic oil and gas offshore “Partnership” between the USA and various private companies that generates billions of royalty dollars for the U.S. Treasury, creates jobs and provides cheap energy that drives our competitive economy. Who could argue with the Administration when it said our Partnership would achieve these desirable goals? Who could argue with the Administration’s view that our Partnership would reduce our dependence on foreign sources and achieve a national security objective? Who would argue with the Administration’s careful and thoughtful planning to balance the economic benefits with the protection of the environment? The Administration said there would be some who would object to the offshore drilling plan. There always are a few that will. The tragic accident in the Gulf will cause some to react without thinking but thoughtful people, and hopefully a thoughtful Administration, will take a long view and seek to ensure the greater good of our people, economy and civilization. How could the Administration’s careful and thoughtful plan have changed in a month? Surely, it factored into the “plan” the reality that accidents and spills will happen.

Consider all that can go wrong and how mistakes and accidents cause us to learn and adapt. Bridges collapse but we haven’t stopped building them and crossing rivers. Campfires, cigarettes and matches have caused the destruction of millions of pristine acres but we haven’t banned people from entering and enjoying the forest. Oil tankers infrequently run aground and spill oil but we haven’t stopped transporting the 99.99% of the oil drilled that arrives safely at refineries. Immigrants introduce foreign plants and animals that often outcompete the native varieties but we don’t eliminate immigration. Our cities, towns and farms replaced the natural habitat that proceeded development but we haven’t stopped living in them, even the minority of hypocrites that accept the benefits while telling everyone else how mistaken they are about enjoying abundant food, health and a high standard of living. Self-proclaimed “green” groups protest iron-ore mining, coal mining and “dirty steel production” yet they adore miles of towering, steel windmills and what’s left of the habitat after their installation. Yes, we suffer a dimwitted and hypocritical minority that seeks to replace crop-growing farms with subsidized solar-panel farms so we can achieve the same unaffordable energy prices of failed European economies. Fortunately the majority in the USA learns, adapts and moves civilization forward.

We are all environmentalists – humans that live and thrive in this world. There is nothing unnatural about our civilization since we are part of nature. There have been and will continue to be accidents of environmental impact and like the current oil spill in the Gulf there will be fires, explosions and spills of all kinds and in many places. These accidents come with the territory of civilization. The citizens of this country are the partners with the oil companies, the stock of which we hold in our mutual funds and retirement accounts. We lease our federally controlled lands and waters for oil and gas development for our benefit. Since we receive the benefits of the offshore oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico then we, along with the oil companies and their insurers, should cover the damages and clean up our spill. We ask that the Administration do a good and thorough job of containment and clean up since it is representing our interests in the Partnership. The Administration can either attempt to lead, as it did a month ago when it called for offshore drilling, or it can engage in the knee-jerk reaction of halting offshore drilling because the hypocrites are shouting in its ear.