Offshore Oil Drilling On The Environment - 1474 Words

Offshore Oil Drilling â€Å"If we do nothing, it doesn t matter how we feel. And that’s exactly what oil companies are banking on: out of sight, out of mind† (Hart, 24). Petroleum is a naturally occurring oil found under deep layers of rock (â€Å"oil drilling†). Oil drilling is when a pipe penetrates through these several layers of rock in order to reach the petroleum oil underneath. This oil can then be purified or turned into gasoline for energy use. Offshore oil drilling, like its’ name describes, is specifically oil drilling on the ocean floor, away from a shore line. Offshore oil drilling provides one of the most consumed American energy resources, but also provides a risk to the environment (Crawford et al. 27). The United State’s†¦show more content†¦economy, and because it is an easy and efficient source of energy. First, supporters of continuing offshore oil drilling argue that it creates thousands of jobs, and that if offshore d rilling were to end, the revenue it creates would also come to an end. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, â€Å"creation of a gas-to-liquids industry resulting in thousands of new domestic jobs and potentially billions of dollars in new investments† (Crawford et al. 20). Offshore oil drilling incorporates a wide variety of employees ranging from business management teams to the workers on the rig. If offshore oil drilling were to come to a stop, thousands of people would lose their jobs, and raise the unemployment rate in America. Furthermore, the profit and revenue offshore oil drilling creates would come to an end. For example, tax returns, income to land and mineral owners, and access to domestic resources would all stop. (Crawford et al. 69). With so much dependence on the revenue offshore oil drilling brings in, a stop to the offshore drilling would leave citizens, dependent on these resources and incomes, left to look for new jobs and new sources of income. Sec ondly, the opposition makes the argument that offshore oil drilling is a crucial part of the U.S. economy, and many Americans are dependent on the oil and gas generated from it. To start,