Why is President Bush trying to increase oil production instead of alternative energy?

I think you are already know that his family is aligned with the oil industry. His administration has people connected to both the oil and military industries. It is a scary situation. What's even more alarming are some of the opinions being expressed here.

Of course alternative energy is currently more expensive - its just starting. The fossil fuel industry had a 100 year head start to streamline their processes and make the whole world dependent on it. It will be a painful and costly shift to another energy source, that's why governments have to step in and create incentives.

The option to do nothing is not an option. Even those who believe that "global warming" is a leftist conspiracy, must acknowledge the coming of "peak oil". When peak oil is announced, it will send shockwaves of panic throughout the world.

No matter which part of the political spectrum you belong to, the issues related to CO2 emissions and the finite supply of oil is inevitable and will affect everyone. The people who still believe that the earth is flat and that global warming is fake has to look at the evidence and join the rest of us in pressuring governments to act.

I don't see it as greed but as sharing and using our own resources. Does he want increased use of alternative energy? Yes. But I see it as an opportunity for the United States to become more self-sufficient by actually using our own resources. What use is it in the ground if we can safely drill in a few areas and use what we have naturally. I'm no expert but I think that may decrease gas prices by having more of a supply and lesser of a demand.

Why can't we have both an increase in oil production AND an increase in alternative energy?

O.K., so we start 'developing ' alternative energy. For the next several years you will continue paying higher and higher prices for fuel and commodities while they 'develop' the alternative energy. At some point you will not be able to afford much of anything while we continue to wait for the 'development' of alternative energy vehicles, homes, business, etc., etc., etc....

If we increase production of fossil fuels WHILE we 'develop' alternative energy products we might be able to get by without an increase or possibly even a decrease in fuel prices...

Inceasing production is a lot quicker than 'Developing' new alternative energy sources and products, but you knew that you just wanted to rant on the present administration, didn't you. Well when was the last time you saw Government 'develop' ANYTHING....besides paperwork....Gripe at INDUSTRY, because they are the ones that will develop and produce something, not the administration, not government.

By the way, contrary to what you have been told or believe, The President possesses NO Superpowers, Does not control the weather, and doesn't actual work in or around FEMA....

1. His brain is the size of a pea, so are the brains of his advisors. Have you not learnt a thing from the last eight years?

2. He is an oil man, why would he want to make himself less rich?

3. He does not understand the impact drilling has on the environment.

He really scares me too.

The gas problem isn't going to change overnight and contrary to popular belief Bush is not god and he isn't able to make alternative energy just appear increasing oil production will help in an immediate way until alternative energy has been produced.

The problem is that the citizens of the US are demanding a solution to the problem now. Increased oil production can deliver that solution. Alternative energy cannot. It would take decades to put enough wind farms or solar panels in place to take the place of coal and oil. Conversion of all autos in the US to electric or hybrid will also take a very long time. People are wanting the prices of oil to go down now. They are not interested in paying more money to get a different kind of car.

I'm for clean energy, but I believe were being lied to over this oil crisis.... The IMF and Worldbank are who's behind this outrageous gas prices....... do some homework, google Lindsey Williams and his book the non oil crisis.

this guy was a executive with the Alaskyn pipeline company and served as chaplain for the entire northern slope, there is more oil in alaska then all of saudi arbia and he proves it, and he proves the oil crisis of the mid 70's was artificially created and the same is happening today by the same powers that set the price of a barrel and control all foriegn policy........ the IMF and Worldbank.

there wont be any drilling anytime soon.

Other countries are taping into the oil around our country and no other alternative fuel at the moment can be used as easily as oil at the moment. We know how to use it and there is an infrastructure to get it to the pepole who need to use it. Alternative fuels ussaly need a little different infrastructure due to different corrosion factors.

For example converting your car to auto gas instead of gasoline might take two days of work to replace parts that would wear out quickly with the auto gas. The problem is you might have to build your own depot or drive to Mexico to get the auto gas.

Alternative energy such as bio-diesel, wind, solar, tidal, ethanol...even fission and fusion reactors: To develop the infrastructure and technology, it takes a lot of time. We currently have a reliable infrastructure for petroleum so increasing that would make the most sense, for the time being.

If you want to have all electric cars, where's that energy going to come from? Coal is still a top electric producer in our country, followed by fission reactors and hydro-electric generators. Solar and wind are available but currently don't produce the volume of energy as the others. They are also dependent on atmospheric conditions. Remember the "rolling brownouts" in California? The more we use electricity, the more that will happen, nation wide.

Bush IS considering alternative options but you have to realize, NO alternative option will just spring up overnight and start producing usable power. He doesn't think alone, he has advisors and department heads that contribute to his decision-making. Of course lobbyists also weasel thier way in for that special-interest push on government policy.

Bush may, or may not, have any greedy ambitions but hey, that can be said about any of us. Consider this, he is but one person, there are millions of people who waste millions of kilowatt hours and millions of gallons of fuel on a daily basis. So how Bush is greedy, in your eyes, is beyond me. He already has wealth and power and come January, he'll have book deals and seminars. He is but one aspect of the government and is not the source of oil for the entire US, try digging deeper to find the ones who are corrupt, greedy and have an agenda the populous probably would cringe over.

The destruction of communities is done BY those who live in the communities themselves. "We the people"...the government passes laws and regulations according to the people's voting, if you don't like it, run for office or vote for someone competent for a change. The bureaucracy in the government and absurd, patchwork political agendas will be the death of us all.

"The oil companies will keep getting richer"...Of course they will. The volume of petroleum products we use is staggering. We use more than twice as much as China. India and China(half the earth's population, right?) use about as much oil combined, as we in the US use. The oil companies are getting richer all right...on volume sales that keep increasing. The markup on gasoline at the pump is VERY small compared to the taxes and the actual cost of purchasing/pumping, shipping, processing and distribution of the final gas product.

So, my advice to you: If you are scared, do something to ensure you and your family's survival....and if you feel froggy enough, think of your community and nation too. If we can't get back on track, it's going to get MUCH tougher for the citizens of our great country.

I wish you the best and hope you can make a positive difference in your community!

'Lobbies' --- nothing new. US has the most advanced technology in the world, if we wanted to we'll have a viable alternative source within 10 years.

There are certain things even Bush & Co have left out, that it would take years before that OIL can be drilled(according to Bush himself). Most of the OIL will be sent to countries like Japan as it will be more expensive to transport that OIL into US.

All the experts agree it wouln't immediately help & at best the reserves have less than 5% of supply. No refineries, will take few years for that capability. No one has any idea why the prices are increasing in the first place, 'supply & demand', inflation etc. It is simple math!

Bush & McCain have refused point blank to invest in alternative sources, WHY?

It is scary, thinking about past 8 years the populace still blindly

chews what the government & some in media feed us. IT IS SHOCKING. No one bothers to ask Why, Where, When, How etc.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080618/gasoline_poltics.ht...

"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny." -Thomas Jefferson