GEOL 220 – Fall 2008 Due on Tuesday, Sept. 23 before 5 pm

The Case for Offshore Drilling

Due in part to rising gasoline prices, politicians have begun to talk about the possibility of opening up formerly closed United States coastal areas to offshore oil drilling. Your assignment is to explain why this is either a good idea or a bad idea. In your explanation, be sure to comment on how offshore drilling might affect coastal communities, coastal wildlife or the ocean itself. Be sure that at least some of your information comes from factual sources and that your information is not just based on political or emotional points of view. Since each student will use slightly different sources of information, please include a list of your references. Three potential sources of information are listed below, just to get you started.

http://docs.nrdc.org/legislation/leg_08071501A.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/washington/18drill.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

http://audubonmagazine.org/fieldnotes/fieldnotes0809.html

Be sure you are familiar with the grading rubric which appears on the main homework page.