1) The argument not to drill in our country for the oil that we use, is that by blocking drilling we are saving the planet; but by increasing the opportunity for drilling in other places to meet the need we—primarily—have for more oil, what is being saved?
Charles Krauthammer reflects on that.
An excerpt.
“Consider: 25 years ago, nearly 60 percent of U.S. petroleum was produced domestically. Today it's 25 percent. From its peak in 1970, U.S. production has declined a staggering 47 percent. The world consumes 86 million barrels a day; the United States, roughly 20 million. We need the stuff to run our cars and planes and economy. Where does it come from?
“Places like Nigeria where chronic corruption, environmental neglect and resulting unrest and instability lead to pipeline explosions, oil spills and illegal siphoning by the poverty-stricken population -- which leads to more spills and explosions. Just this week, two Royal Dutch Shell pipelines had to be shut down because bombings by local militants were causing leaks into the ground.
“Compare the Niger Delta to the Gulf of Mexico where deep-sea U.S. oil rigs withstood Hurricanes Katrina and Rita without a single undersea well suffering a significant spill.”
2) Saving the salmon is absolutely crucial and this editorial is right on target because, for all intents and purposes, the salmon are the canary in the coal mine as it relates to our waters, and regardless of how many dams we might need to build to provide proper water storage for our state, we can still ensure the salmon survive, as has been done in the lower American River since the building of Folsom Dam.
One of the guiding principles of the American River Parkway Preservation Society concerns the salmon and it states: “What’s good for the salmon is good for the river.”
