This is another area under scrutiny in the MMS scandal. There are reports, dating back to 2008, that the royalty offices of the MMS, located in Denver, routinely accepted oil company numbers on the amount of oil they produced, rather than independently auditing the numbers. No one knows how much lost revenue to the government that practice resulted in, and there is no way of finding out now. Clearly, future policy formation on the industry needs to include more oversight, more regulations, and a much less cozy relationship between the regulators and the companies they are regulating.
Future policy formation on other energy sources
The Gulf spill has helped to change public opinion on oil and its production, and on how it is regulated. It seems much clearer after the spill that we are a nation far too dependent on foreign and domestic oil. The rise in gas prices last year helped show that, too. Oil is a non-renewable, dirty fuel, and Americans are the most heavily dependent on it. We need to form policies today that will positively affect our country and our ancestors in the next decades. The White House and Congress are attempting to pass laws on renewable energy that will benefit us all, but there is stiff opposition from lobbyists and many Republicans. While the administration did manage to get a bit tougher fuel-efficiency regulations through Congress, any sweeping changes in renewable energy have not passed. Lawmakers need to recognize that it is vital for the country to develop alternative sources of energy, not only to help the environment, but also to stop our dependence on non-renewable oil.
Creating alternative power sources, such as geothermal, wind, solar, and hydroelectric. Today, we are dependent on oil and coal, two of the dirtiest, most polluting power producers. Replacing old coal-fired electric plants with solar, wind, or geothermal plants is expensive, but it makes much more sense in the end. Over time, these alternative power plants pay for themselves, and they are far cleaner and less polluting than traditional plants. In addition, they use types of power that is renewable and good for the planet. The Gulf oil spill shows just how dangerous oil is, and how important it is to step away from non-renewable fuels in favor of more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Short- and long-term socio-economic consequences of oil spills and continued reliance on oil
The socio-economic consequences of the Gulf oil spill have yet to be analyzed. In the short run, experts already know that tourism has dropped dramatically, and reports indicate that many communities that are heavily reliant on tourism are collapsing all along the coast. With tourism down, the economic cost to these communities will be great, and if people continue to think the area is polluted after the spill is controlled, the area could suffer for years. The Exxon Valdez incident shows that communities suffer lengthy comebacks, and that some fishermen and others are still affected from the 1989 spill today. The same will certainly hold true for the Gulf coast, it is sad to say.
The economic affect on the fishing industry is still being assessed, as well. Oysters and shrimp are already affected, and many fishermen are worried about spawning areas for other fish and shellfish, which could also affect populations for years or decades to come. Most...
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