President Barack Obama speaks about the U.S. energy ecnomy at Andrews Air Force Base.
AP Photo
THE GIST:
- President Barack Obama will open some offshore waters to oil drilling.
- Oil and gas exploration will be permitted in other offshore areas.
- During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama supported a moratorium on offshore drilling.
President Barack Obama said Wednesday he had no choice but to make the "tough" decision to open some offshore waters to oil drilling, despite his drive for a clean energy economy.
Obama said that in order to wean America off sources of foreign oil, the United States had to fully exploit some of its own untapped resources, even as it seeks to develop new forms of energy.
"In the short term, as we transition to cleaner energy sources, we'll have to make tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development in ways that protect communities and coastlines," Obama said.
"The bottom line is this: given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth, produce jobs, and keep our businesses competitive, we're going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable, homegrown energy."
Related Links:
- TreeHugger.com: Offshore Drilling: Worth the Oil, or False Hope?
- Could Cheap Algae Oil Power Our Energy Future?
- HowStuffWorks: Oil Drilling
- TreeHugger.com: Art or Oil: Drilling Near Utah's Famous "Spiral Jetty" Earthwork
Obama announced he was opening up stretches of U.S. waters to oil and gas exploration and drilling off the coast of Virginia.
The plan, likely to anger environmentalists, will also continue lease sales in central and western areas of the Gulf of Mexico, but cancel some proposed contracts in Alaska's Bristol Bay over environmental concerns.
Tags: Clean Energy, How Stuff Works, Jobs, Petroleum
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