Back in the 1980s there was a big push to drill for oil off California's north coast. Exploratory mapping revealed millions of acres of oil deposits from Bodega north, and from what I recall, the biggest concentration lay just off the Mendocino coast. Though logging and fishing were in full swing back then, the area was still considered pristine and the last thing people wanted to see were unsightly rigs in the ocean a few miles offshore. Thankfully the federal ban was put in place to keep the north coast waters "wild."
Black gold has once again become a topic of discussion in recent years, especially when it comes down to American's dependency on foreign oil. The average American probably wouldn't have cared so much if gas prices hadn't skyrocketed to record highs in 2008 and threatened to stay that way, or get worse, in years to come. But because of the global demand, the Bush Administration sought to relieve that dependence on foreigners by opening up areas of the United States to drilling. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was first on the list. Unbeknownst to many though, so was California's north coast.
During the election, Republican nominee John McCain was very keen on seeing the federal ban on offshore oil drilling lifted. Now that the ban has ended when Congress let the moratorium lapse, the north coast is back in the cross-hairs. Though gas prices have dropped to lows not seen in over five years, the fear factor about what life would be like without oil is now on everybody's minds. What's scary to me is the fact that, unlike the '80s, this time around big oil might just get their way.
There was an article on SFGate.com this morning about this very subject, and they included a map of areas of prospective interest to the oil industry. It's disheartening to know that most of the Mendocino coast falls within big oil's interests. Rigs could potentially be in place by 2012. If this happens, it would mean oil tankers would become a common sight off our shore, the risk of spills would increase ten-fold and for what, a temporary relief at the pump? It would do nothing to curb our dependence, nothing at all. In fact, I imagine it would only be a stepping stone for more drilling, equating to a few more decades of demand for the black stuff.
Ultimately though, the fate of the north coast lay in the hands of President-elect Obama. With more and more people in favor of drilling off the coast, there could be pressure for the President to take action, even if he may be personally against the idea.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.