Nowadays South Carolina is easy to find. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and falls just at the center of controversy.
After President Bush encouraged offshore drilling as a way to curtail growing oil and gas prices, John McCain made public his favor of the idea. Days later, the Governor of South Carolina was forced to address how offshore drilling might affect a state that already relies so heavily on offshore locations for business. From its seafood businesses to tourism, the coast is a key source of income for South Carolina.
Congress must decide whether they will approve offshore drilling, but that hasn’t stopped South Carolina from already weighing the pros and cons. Governor Mark Sanford quickly responded, giving his opinion on drilling just off the South Carolina coast. The manner of his answer is one state Republicans say they’re seeing more of from Sanford lately. You see, the Governor said yes, but he also said no. In short he says that he would be “open” to the idea if individual states were left to decide.
Lifting the federal moratorium could also mean lifting a Pandora’s Box of the issues that come with offshore drilling. South Carolinians are concerned that the drilling will affect the aesthetics that have added to its rich tourism industry, among other things. Oil and gas companies argue that the drilling will take place so far offshore that it will have little, if any, impact on residents or tourists. Those officials argue that the only differences will be seen at the pump when prices decrease.
It’s a good argument if the ten plus years it may take to see that difference is unmentioned. Critics of offshore drilling argue that the difference in price at the pump may be as little as one cent, after ten or twenty years. Those critics argue that the answer to the energy crisis doesn’t lie in digging up natural resources. Instead, they say more effort should be placed in exploring long term answers to its problems. South Carolina falls behind many other states in its public transportation system. Critics argue that the state should consider investing its money in a public subway or train system.
With an issue as complex as offshore drilling, it’s no wonder Governor Sanford is reluctant to commit either way. Offshore drilling could ultimately account for about thirty percent of the nation’s seven billion barrel per day consumption. The biggest question is if promises of lower prices at the pump are worth the risks to the state’s pre-established coastal and oceanic business.