>Just kidding of course but I do think that quite apart from all the rhetoric there are some good reasons for allowing oil exploration on our soil. This may get some Canadian noses out of joint but we souldn't tell you folks how to do your business (though we have in the past - to our shame IMO) nor should we be precluded from doing what we think best - remembering the notion of responsibility for one's actions of course. Apparently we also receive a lot of our oil from Mexico and Venezuela rather than the Middle East - though Japan and Europe, apart fro the North Sea Oli Reserves, get a lot from there.


Doug;

A large amount of the oil from Alaska goes to Japan. We would not want to “cut off” oil supplies to Japan like we did during the late 1930’s early 1940’s or we might find a Japanese Aircraft Carrier sailing for Hawaii.

During the 1973 “Oil Crisis” (followed by the 1978 Oil Crisis) cars were lined up for blocks in California. We had “Odd and Even Days”, depending upon your license plate, as to what days you could buy gasoline. At that time 6% of or oil came from sources outside the United States. All this occurred because of Arab Nations reducing their supply of oil. A few months later Mobil Oil announced they had invested $250 million in oil exploration – in Arab Nations – for the upcoming year. Next thing you knew we were 60% dependent upon foreign oil. I had the thought at that time we were using up the world’s supply first and saving ours for the last! The worlds largest oil reserve is in California and is owned by the United States Government. If you drill anywhere near it you will be visited by the United States Military very quickly – it has happened over the years.

A news cast last night from San Jose, California was discussing a Electrical Generation Plant proposed for the local area in South San Jose – which many of the neighbors do not want. In case you are not aware as we on the West Coast are, we have a very serious problem obtaining electrical power. One bright person being interviewed said: “There is no problem with the supply of electricity. I put up extra Christmas Tree lights this year”!

Houston, I think we have a problem!

Tom