America doesn’t have enough oil left to significantly lower gas prices. But a new economy powered by clean energy will offer new jobs and new opportunities.
Oil companies and their allies in the Bush administration are using high gas prices as an excuse to push for more drilling, but that's not the solution for America's energy crisis.
Cartoonist Mark Fiore drills deep to find the humor in our current energy crisis.
NEW SOLUTIONS
Fuel efficiency: Individuals can save money and cut oil consumption by driving more efficiently, and government can provide incentives for doing so. Businesses can offer programs that reward employees for driving less.
Smarter cars: The auto industry can stop fighting higher fuel-economy standards and invest in the transportation options of the future. Government can adopt clean-fuel requirements that drive the development of low-carbon alternatives.
Transportation alternatives: Government can maintain high transit service levels and invest in public transportation, as well as better sidewalks and bike lanes, which give people money-saving options.
FAILED POLICIES
Offshore drilling: More drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf would have an insignificant impact on gas prices while damaging our beaches and coastal communities, hurting marine life and polluting our seas. Learn more.
Exploiting the Arctic: Lifting protections on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would produce less than a year’s supply of oil in return for despoiling one of the world’s last true wilderness areas. Learn more.
Dirty fuels: Oil shale, liquid coal and tar sands are more expensive to produce than conventional fuels and would cause massive damage to our air, water, climate and health. Learn more.
Despoiling nature to get at the tiny trickle of oil we have left won't make any significant difference in what we pay at the pump -- not now and not ever. And it won't make our country any less dependent on foreign fuel. Our thirst for oil is bad for national security, bad for our economy and bad for the environment.
NRDC and other environmental groups aren't alone in saying this. T. Boone Pickens, one of America's most famous oilmen, recently proclaimed, "This is one emergency we can't drill our way out of."
There is a Better Way
The only real solution is to build a new economy based on clean energy, and we must start today.
Improved efficiency, cleaner fuels, better cars and livable communities are the smart solutions. This new way is also the fastest, cheapest and cleanest solution to high energy prices. It will take the combined efforts of American consumers, business and government, but together we can build a smarter, more efficient nation.
- What you can do: Embrace efficiency. It saves you money and helps push our economy in the right direction. There are ways you can make your car more efficient and bring down your fuel costs right away. Learn more.
- What industry can do: Build homes, offices and communities more sustainably, allowing people to drive less. Companies can support efficient commuting programs for their employees, while the auto industry embraces better fuel economy standards and invests in the latest smart-car options, including plug-in hybrids and sustainably produced low-carbon biofuels.
- What government can do: Offer incentives to help Americans get rid of their gas guzzlers and buy more fuel-efficient vehicles while requiring higher fuel economy standards. Congress can also offer incentives for efficient commuting programs and provide money to improve transit systems, while relieving pressure on low-income families through rebates.
There are many more opportunities, but these first steps can get us started and help reinvigorate our economy now.
Drilling: No Gain, All Pain
Why can't drilling also be part of the solution? Because there's simply not enough oil left to make a difference.
The Bush administration's own Energy Department says that lifting the ban on offshore drilling would have a marginal impact on oil supplies and an "insignificant" impact on prices. Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be similarly futile, shaving -- at the very most -- 4 cents off a gallon of gas by 2026.
An NRDC analysis shows shows that the oil savings from clean energy measures can far outpace the potential oil production of drilling in America’s protected areas. (See chart below.)
So what would more offshore drilling do?
- Damage our beaches: Current Gulf of Mexico drilling projects have wiped out more wetlands than exist between New Jersey and Maine. The massive roads, pipelines and processing facilities needed to support new drilling would hurt local communities that depend on natural resources for tourism, fishing and recreation.
- Hurt marine life: Drilling creates huge quantities of toxic and radioactive pollutants -- some of which make their way into the seafood we eat. Offshore wells pump known carcinogens into the air and require seismic surveys that can harm whales and fish -- including several endangered species.
- Pollute our seas: Oil spills remain a substantial risk from offshore drilling. Between 1981 and 2005, 187 large oil spills dumped more than 2,100 gallons each into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita alone caused 125 spills emitting 685,000 gallons. Oil is toxic for most marine species.
Is all this damage worth it for a tiny amount of oil that won't bring down prices anyway?
The answer is clear: America needs to say no to pumping up Big Oil's profits and yes to forging a new clean energy economy.
Related NRDC Pages
The Real Solution to High Gas Prices
Fighting Oil Addiction
Gas Price Pain Relievers
The Destructive Consequences of Offshore Drilling
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge