By Abe Feigenbaum

Historical Background Edwin Drake dug the first modern oil well in Titusville, Pa. Drake is famous for pioneering a new method for producing oil from the ground John D Rockefeller creates Standard Oil which refines 95% of American oil by Standard Oil was declared an illegal monopoly and split into 34 companies. 1930s - oil companies began exploiting a huge East Texas oil field that would eventually produce 4 billion barrels of oil The first offshore oil rig out of sight of land was set up by Kerr-McGee, Phillips Petroleum and Stanolind Oil & Gas 10 miles off the Louisiana coast Tthe five Arab members of the OPEC committee were joined in Kuwait by the oil ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, and Syria. The result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974 and caused oil prices to quadruple. The US experienced a gasoline shortage Nov 16, President Nixon signed the Trans Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law. Oil companies formed a consortium that gave British Petroleum 50.1% control of the pipeline Offshore drilling for oil and natural gas near the coasts of the United States was banned by Congress after outcries caused by pollution from accidents and spills 1985 California’s oil production peaked at million barrels.

Historical Background An oil spill in Alaska curtailed Prudhoe Bay production. At least 265,000 gallons spilled onto the tundra from a British Petroleum (BP) line handling 100,000 barrels per day George W. Bush rescinds the ban on offshore drilling near the coast of the U.S. due to rising oil prices In Louisiana an oil tanker and an oil barge collided near New Orleans creating a 12-mile oil slick and closing almost 100 miles of the Mississippi River. Over 400,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the river In Washington state an explosion at a Tesoro Corp. refinery killed 4 people in Anacortes, about 70 miles north of Seattle Louisiana authorities said a pipeline has spilled some 18,000 gallons of crude oil into a canal in the Delta National Wildlife Refuge about 60 miles southeast of New Orleans The oil spill off the coast of Louisiana, due to April 20 sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, extended over some 1,800 square miles May 11, The Obama administration announced plans to reorganize the Mineral Management Services, the federal Interior Dept. agency that regulates offshore drilling President Barack Obama reversed a March decision to expand offshore oil exploration to the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico, but said deepwater drilling could continue in the part of the Gulf hit by the BP disaster. scaffoldingbristol.com

Current State of Domestic Oil Drilling BP oil spill makes many Americans wary of offshore drilling In 2010, American oil production reached its highest level since 2003, and total U.S. natural gas production reached its highest level in more than 30 years After originally planning on expanding offshore drilling, President Obama reverses his opinion and decides to allow no further expansion of offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Communities reliant on this industry are angry On Aug. 4, 2011, the Department of the Interior granted Royal Dutch Shell conditional approval of its plan to begin drilling exploratory wells in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska Opposition mainly comes from environmentalists ANWR-Arctic National Wildlife Refuge bikeacrossamerica.org

Opposing Viewpoints For Domestic Drilling: Decrease spending on foreign oil Aid the economy Lessen our dependence in the Middle East Lower oil prices U.S. should not subsidize its enemies Against Domestic Drilling: Temporary Solution Drilling may not yield significant amounts Wildlife may be harmed ANWR should be a last resort blog.newsok.com

Obama/Democratic Position on Domestic Oil Drilling Conservation-Administration expects average MPG to be 54.5 Aggressive reforms to make offshore drilling safer and cleaner 90 million dollar investment in clean energy Over 6 million onshore acres available for lease from for drilling 37 million offshore acres offered for lease in 2010 ohinternet.com

Republican Position on Domestic Oil Drilling Energy independence “All of the above” approach-nuclear, clean coal, natural gas, wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and offshore drilling Oppose energy tax “Drill baby, Drill”-supports domestic oil & gas production, over developing alternative energy supplies, and especially over continuing to import foreign oil.

Mitt Romney on Domestic Oil Drilling “America must become energy independent. We must finally take the necessary steps to actually produce as much energy as we use” Romney supports “developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf” Supports domestic drilling, but is also focused on alternative solutions en.wikipedia.org

Rick Perry More funding to develop domestic energy supplies. Share offshore oil development revenue with states. diggersrealm.com

Michelle Bachman Supports ANWR drilling along with offshore drilling Thinks Obama admin. overreacted to BP spill westernjournalism.com

Bibliography " Background on Energy & Oil." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept " Mitt Romney on the Issues." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept " Rick Perry on the Issues." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept BRODER, JOHN M.. "Offshore Drilling and Exploration News - The New York Times." Times Topics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept "BalancedPolitics.org - ANWR Oil Drilling (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against, Advantages & Disadvantages)." BalancedPolitics.org - Free Balanced, Non-Partisan Discussion of Political & Social Issues for Debate (Pros and Cons - Decision Making Politics). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept "Michele Bachmann for President | MicheleBachmann.com." Michele Bachmann for President | MicheleBachmann.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept "Securing American Energy." Whitehouse.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept "Timeline Oil." Timelines of History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept <