Disaster? Newpaper Wants More Offshore Drilling

by: DocHoc

Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 13:45:08 PM CDT

As oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico creating perhaps the worst environmental disaster in the country's history, The Oklahoman editorial page has this simple message: The U.S. needs more offshore drilling.

What else would you expect from a newspaper that worships energy corporations and serves as a propaganda arm for the GOP, right?

On Tuesday, The Oklahoman published an editorial, "Bold guess: Pickens heralding 2010 energy bill" (June 8, 2010) that discussed Boone Pickens' prediction that Congress will pass some sort of energy bill this year.

In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, some members of Congress would like to shut down all offshore drilling. Instead, such drilling needs to be expanded.

The editorial contained nothing about the immense environmental and financial damage caused by the oil leak that was created after an April 20 explosion on a platform producing oil for British Petroleum. The editorial page has mentioned the Gulf damage but mainly to minimize it or to argue the disaster might well be President Barack Obama's "Katrina."

On the day the newspaper published its editorial there were also media reports about another oil leak in the Gulf.  How much oil must spill, how many beaches must be destroyed before the GOP and their media apologists back down from their irresponsible and extreme position on offshore drilling?

The underlying corporate fanaticism for offshore oil and gas drilling, supported by Republicans for the most part, needs to be tempered with better safety regulations, especially for deep-sea wells. Meanwhile, the Gulf spill clearly shows this country needs to turn to alternative and renewable energy sources.