Amid the beautiful summeresque weather on only the first day of April, I watched the news and saw Obama's announcement to expand offshore oil drilling. A map depicted where some of the drilling rigs would be located, many of them along the Atlantic seaboard near Florida and the Carolinas. I have to admit I felt disappointed and discouraged that the way the U.S. deals with climate change does not change very rapidly. I guess I have to give the president kudos for tapping into our own natural resources, but still, I feel that the future will thrive on solar and wind energy.

 

I will be very upfront about this issue: I oppose any kind of offshore drilling, especially since the oceans are already suffering the brunt of global warming with the bleaching of coral reefs. In my opinion, too much risk is involved in such an endeavor to tap into oil reserves below the ocean floor. What if a pipe breaks and oil leaks out, further polluting our already troubled waters? I know we live in a time of economic hardship, but looking at the larger picture, the fate of our one precious Earth demands an equal if not more serious outlook.

 

Why not further investigate solar and wind energy? The power of the wind and sun is always there, and I am aware of the caveats of wind energy, but I think America has a bigger shot at taking a leap and moving away from our dependence on oil in general. Sure, with wind energy, sometimes the prevailing winds are not as strong as predicted, and the energy return on investment is not so wonderful. But we have the ingenuity, right here and now, to fix these glitches and make renewable energy the way to go, making oil a thing of the past.

 

Let's move forward and truly live green. If we want to solve the climate crisis, America needs to make dramatic changes in the way the nation is powered.