[SecretMaster]

On a side note, here is an editorial I submitted to my local newspaper.

Oil Spill a Time for Reflection

The Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf Coast is a catastrophe by any standard. The temporary moratorium placed on offshore drilling in the U.S. as a result of this spill has irritated some, but in retrospect, is the right decision. With this moratorium in place and this environmental disaster, I am hoping that our country as a whole seriously stops to reflect on our current energy situation.

The United States peaked in its oil production in 1970; at this time, the U.S. produced roughly 9.5 million barrels per day. Today, the U.S. produces around 5.0 million barrels per day. This drop is not due to any political based decision; it simply is due to the natural geologic decline of U.S. oil fields. Barring some extreme scenario of territorial expansion, it is impossible to ever reach those early production levels.

Energy is the lifeblood of all economies. Our great economic success and output in the world is due to applying more energy into the economic system. This energy has primarily been in the form of oil, therefore in order to maintain economic growth, we need to increasingly add energy (oil!) into the system.

The political question then becomes, "do we use our oil or do we rely on other countries for oil?" We're all aware of the ramifications of being reliant on foreign oil inputs. For this reason, part of Obama's energy independence strategy has been to rely on our offshore fields to supplement our production. This is the start of many serious decisions and policies that need to be addressed within our country.

The Deepwater Horizon spill occurred in one of the most ecologically productive systems in the U.S. The whole of this coastal/estuarine ecosystem contributes to a staggering amount of our species. There are obvious benefits we have received from these ecosystems, such as tourism revenues, fishing based economies, etc. Hidden more indirectly however are ecosystem processes which humans directly benefit from. More subtle benefits such as nitrogen fixation, waste treatment, nutrient cycling, and soil formation are crucial components that humans use, but take for granted. An analysis at valuing these ecosystem services estimated that at a minimum, coastal and estuarine ecosystems contribute approximately $26,000 per hectare each year. Wetlands, also affected by this oil spill, are worth approximately $15,000 per hectare each year. When examining how many hectares this spill can potentially affect, the costs can quickly multiply to millions of dollars of ecosystem services lost per year.

With this moratorium in place, I am hoping that our country can truly start to reflect on our current situation. Should we drill in such ecologically sensitive and valuable areas? What chance of failure can be deemed acceptable, and are the ramifications acceptable? As a country, we must collectively make these decisions, and accept the consequences. There are no easy answers or decisions to be made, but they do require all aspects to be thoroughly examined.