Thursday, August 03, 2006

More ocean oil drilling

The Senate approved more ocean oil drilling yesterday, and the House has approved a related bill. Both authorize more offshore oil drilling. Differences between the two chambers may prevent final approval.

Ocean oil drilling creates toxic contamination from drilling mud used for lubrication, along with occasional oil leaks.

Offshore platforms are believed by some to create positive effects for fish by serving as artificial reefs that produce more fish. Unfortunately, if fishing is allowed they can be a detriment to fish populations, by attracting fish that are easily caught, similar to FADs (fish aggregating devices). Without FADs, depletion can be the (sad) last refuge for fish because they are too sparse to catch effectively. With FADs, even depleted fish can be effectively caught.

Do we want more oil drilling off our coasts? Is this the highest and best use of our oceans?

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