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Bush lifts ban on offshore drilling

President Bush today lifted an executive order (put in place by his father 20 years ago) banning offshore oil drilling. His reasoning is that more drilling is necessary to offset the rising costs of gasoline. The act was mostly political, though, as nothing will actually change unless Congress lifts its own ban on offshore drilling.

For many of us in California, the best case against offshore oil drilling was the devastating oil spill off Santa Barbara in 1969, which had a tremendous impact on birds, wildlife, and habitat. About this incident, then-President Richard Nixon said:

“It is sad that it was necessary that Santa Barbara should be the example that had to bring it to the attention of the American people. What is involved is the use of our resources of the sea and of the land in a more effective way and with more concern for preserving the beauty and the natural resources that are so important to any kind of society that we want for the future. The Santa Barbara incident has frankly touched the conscience of the American people.”

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