Abstract
This paper discusses the positive and negative attributes of offshore drilling within the United States. it discusses the issues with offshore platforms, the potential overuse of energy and the skyrocketing costs of oil. It also discusses the potential for spills and ecological disasters. It concludes that it could have the possibility of growing the economy, but that if all estimates of oil reserves are correct, it would not make a difference for another 10 to 15 years.

From the Paper
"The boosted demand of oil within the industrialized states like the US have provoked debates on the importance an impact of offshore oil drilling instead of merely importing oil from the Middle East States like Saudi Arabia. This has led to many scientists and ecologists battle out on the overall pros and cons of offshore drilling on not only the environment but also the people and the economy. This paper will also focus on what the positives and negatives of offshore oil drilling could be within the context of the current demand and gas prices within the United States."

Tags:oil, oil drilling, middle east, saudi arabia, United states, government

Abstract
This paper examines legislation passed by the Bush administration, which ended a 25 year ban on drilling 125 miles south of Florida's panhandle. The paper describes the position of the opposing parties to this legislation, including that of Senator Bill Nelson. The paper also describes the ecological impact of offshore drilling, as well as the subsequent effect on Florida's tourist based economy.

From the Paper
"A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council also found troubling statistics regarding the dangers of drilling. The water pollution issue was of special note to the group. They found that on average the drilling operations generate an average of 180,000 gallons of waste materials and muds per well. This material is almost always dumped directly into surrounding waters. Mercury, lead and arsenic are typically found in these tainted waters after the materials are released. These poisons can pollute water for miles, and certainly endanger the living creatures in the area (NRDC)."

Tags:politics, environmental issues, oil drilling, florida, bill nelson

Abstract
The paper discusses how environmentalists want all offshore oil drilling to cease because of a less-than-stellar safety track record by the oil industry, while others suggest that these drilling platforms provide valuable habitats for marine life during and after the completion of their operations. The paper examines the literature and concludes that the debate will continue with the constant need for such offshore drilling operations. The paper does note, however, that the "rigs to reef" initiative suggests that environmentalists are making the most of the situation by using the known benefits of drilling platforms to their best effect.

Outline:
Review and Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper
"An energy hungry world is looking to a number of alternative energy sources, including nuclear, wind and solar power. While the experts may not agree on which approach is the best for the future, virtually everyone agrees that petroleum will remain the fuel of choice for many industries and consumers around the world because of the enormous investments in this source to date. In this environment, it is reasonable to assume that offshore oil drilling will continue to provide this important source of energy for the nation in the future, but not everyone is of the same mind concerning the environmental impact that such operations entail. Indeed, some environmentalists want all offshore oil drilling to cease because of a less-than-stellar safety track record by the oil industry, while others suggest that these drilling platforms provide valuable habitats for marine life during and after the completion of their operations."

Tags:rigs, reef, accidents, safety, bowhead, whale

Abstract
This paper deals with offshore drilling of oil and its consequences on environment and marine life.

From the Paper
"Although efforts have been made to find alternative fuel sources, at this time the United States continues to be dependent upon oil for the majority of its energy needs. Unfortunately, the nation does not produce enough oil domestically to meet this need. Therefore, the U.S. must import foreign oil from unstable regions of the world such as the Persian Gulf. Studies indicate that the United States imports half of the 6 billion barrels that it needs each year, at an annual rate of approximately $42 billion. It has been noted that as much as 50 percent of the nation's current trade deficit is due to this large-scale importation of oil. Because of this situation, it has been argued that the United States should make a greater effort to exploit domestic oil resources. Although there are many onshore sites for oil, the ... "

From the Paper
"This research reviews the factors that should be considered in the siting of offshore oil drilling platforms. The Bredasdorp basin off the south coast of the Republic of South Africa is used as the project location for an offshore oil drilling platform for purposes of illustrating the factors that should be considered in the siting of such a facility.

Location Description and Relevant Topographical Characteristics
The Bredasdorp basin, located off the south coast of South Africa, has numerous small oil and gas fields within its 18,000 square kilometer area. Many of these deposits are in less than 200 meters of..."

Tags:

Abstract
This paper explores how oceanography affects the sectors of contemporary societal issues, economic problems, and political and natural problems. The paper addresses these sectors as interrelated aspects of the same system, as opposed to independent forces or phenomena. The paper also discusses the rapid increases in human population as a significant societal issue to which oceanography is relevant and then looks at the topic of offshore drilling that has both economic considerations and governmental political implications. The paper attempts to demonstrate how oceanography is a complex and multi-tiered science that is relevant today.

From the Paper
"Oceanography is an astonishingly vast science. It is actually made up of many essential sciences that illustrate the relevance of oceanography to the areas of society issues, economic problems, and political and natural hazards. It is comprised of four fundamental sections including Biological Oceanography, which addresses environmental impacts, fisheries/aquaculture, and marine biology. The second section is Chemical Oceanography, which addresses the environment and pollution. The third is Geological Oceanography, which includes hydrography, geo-sciences, glaciers/ice/snow, hazards, and study of the paleoenvironment. The fourth and most well known is Physical Oceanography, which studies acoustics, atmosphere, circulation/physics, climate, meteorology, modeling, operational & observing systems, and optics."

Tags:human, population, offshore, drilling, oil, Alaska, Preserve, plague, disease

Abstract
This paper examines the impact of underwater fossil fuel extraction and transportation on ocean life. It looks at how several accidents have happened during the ocean transportation of fossil fuels, polluting the surrounding ocean waters ,and killing marine life, and how offshore fossil fuel extraction may also lead to oil spills, polluting the surrounding environment. The paper examines the effect of oil pollution on ocean life from these two perspectives and argues that the environment cannot survive these accidents for long. Solutions are proposed, such as stricter controls on the specification of the ships used to transport fossil fuels and, maybe, the prohibiting of offshore drilling of fossil fuels.

From the Paper
"In order to understand the effects of oil pollution in the ocean life and the difficulties in identifying the invisible pollution, the difference between the short term and the long term effects of pollution should be taken into consideration. The short term pollution is the effect of the obvious pollution on the marine environment. One of the most significant examples of the short term pollution is the accident of Exxon Valdez. As Robert H day Et Al biologists say, on the 24th march 1989, the oil transportation tanker Exxon Valdez crashes the Prince William sound area in Alaska and within hours an incredible amount of oil had spilled into the marine environment."

Tags:marine, exxon, valdez, spills, fossil, fuels

Abstract
This paper looks at every aspect of the oil industry in the Persian Gulf, using United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the specific case study to examine the affects of oil production and its transportation on the environment in the UAE.

The Table of Contents:
Introduction
Nature of Drilling in the United Arab Emirates
The Political and Social Organization of the United Arab Emirates
History of the UAE as a Nation-State
The Geography of the Persian Gulf as a Whole
Temperature, Climate, and Topography of the Land
The Ecological History of the Persian Gulf
Pollution Related to Oil Production and Transportation
Strategies for Improvement
Steps Being Taken
Steps to Take
Conclusions

From the Paper
"This does not mean that accidents are not of any concern of the UAE. There is a recognition significant future potential for oil-related accidents. The danger from oil spills is a worldwide problem and the Gulf presents a uniquely challenging environmental situation. There is a high level of traffic through the waters of the UAE by oil tankers and other shipping rigs. Since the Gulf War of 1991, the waters of the UAE have suffered from a number of significant oil spills within the country's recent historical, collective memory. Most of these spills were accidental but the intentional release of Kuwaiti oil by the Iraqis at the end of the War raised serious concerns within the borders of the UAE as to the potential for spilling oil as a war-related tactic. This act gained the attention of all of the Gulf States, convincing them that they should take immediate steps to prevent damage from oil spills in the future. In this case, the political instability of the region acted as a "wake up" call to all of the Gulf nations. (Zeitoun and Goudsouzian, 2001: 150) The most recent spill occurred when an Iraqi tanker called the Zainab, a container ship smuggling Iraqi crude, sank in April of 2001. It was carrying over one million gallons of Iraqi fuel and 300 tons of fuel oil when it sank off the port of Jebel Ali, south of Dubai. (Zeitoun and Goudsouzian, 2001: 150) The spill spread oil along the Sharjah, Dubai, and Ajam coast. Beaches were fouled, and local Ajmani authorities closed the emirate's main desalination water plant as a precaution against pollution. This caused significant water shortages. (Zeitoun and Goudsouzian, 2001: 150; "Gulf Tanker Spill Under Control": MSNBC.COM)"

Tags:petroleum, economic, government, drilling, offshore, political, organization, islam, urban, british, americans, exploration, oil, foreign, oman, dubai, wildlife, legislation, land, preservation, arabian, structure, water, topography, climate, geography, history, economy, tankers, uni

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the Alaskan oil reserves and how these reserves offer a potentially large resource and a possible solution to the energy needs of the United States. This paper also reviews how using these reserves could mean possible exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

From the Paper
" The National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A), is situated between the foothills of the Brooks Range and the Arctic coastline, and is about 120 miles from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). (Rosen, Y. 2003. ) The Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) estimates the area will"... supplement production from the Alpine fields, which hold 429 million barrels and have a daily oil output of about 100,000 barrels." (US OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil Reserve) In terms of geography the oil in the petroleum reserve" lies in reservoirs only about 50 feet thick, stretched across an area 300 miles wide and 200 miles from the coast inland to the Brooks Range. In ANWR, the oil is largely concentrated in reservoirs as thick as 300 feet." (Big oil numbers for Alaska)
At first glance there seems to be very little reason not to make use of these oil reserves. The US Geological Survey estimates that the reserve contains between 5.9 billion and 13.2 billion barrels of oil. (US expands oil exploration in Alaska). Other estimates are that the area "... is expected to produce between 5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of oil for decades." (Murkowski L. 2005)"

Tags:offshore, drilling, environment, Eskimos, ecological