The author is a Sophomore in Colorado.
To the President,
At your inaugural speech, you laid out your plan to “drill baby drill.” This was not only alarming, but reckless. Because if you reviewed the facts, you would find that continuing to drill oil is extremely detrimental to the US.
The United States emits the most CO2 from oil drilling in the world. Carbon emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. In the past year there have been instances where climate change was evident and destructive.
The LA wildfires spread and burned easier because the area is very dry and windy as a result of warmer temperatures. 30 people died and 16,000 properties were destroyed in the fires. Are the lives of real human beings worth more money in the already strong US economy?
Moreover, these fires have negative effects on the US government as well; “Government agencies that receive revenue from taxes stand to lose $61 million or more annually while homes are being rebuilt, a Times analysis shows.”
Climate change – a major contributor to which is oil drilling – greatly increases the risk of natural disasters including wildfires, flooding, and drought. These disasters not only cost money, but come at the unacceptable expense of human lives.
But this is not the only way climate change is negatively affecting the United States. In my own state of Colorado, there is less and less snow each year in our mountains due to the warming climate.
Personally, spending time in the mountains in the winter is one of my favorite activities that allows my family to connect and spend time together outside. Some of my most cherished memories are of skiing with my family and friends. The fact that drilling oil jeopardizes some of the best things in my life is tragic.
Not only are our snowy mountains an amazing sight that everyone should be able to experience – including future generations – they are a major source of income for the economy, contributing $17.2 billion to the Colorado GDP in 2023. Skiing is a major source of revenue for the state, and will decline as the amount of snow does. And Colorado is hardly the only state where an industry will be affected like this.
Furthermore, drilling oil decimates habitats and endangers the lives of many animals. There are many instances of dead animals coated in oil washing up on beaches. It is not fair that animals should die so that humans can have a bit more oil. Many of these species support industries as well, such as fishing.
It is also imperative to point out that continuing to drill oil is not in the best interest of the future of the United States or the world. A study from Stanford found that our oil reserves, as in all the oil on the planet, will run out by 2052 – less than thirty years time.
If we want to avoid an energy crisis, as well as the various natural disasters and economic drawbacks climate change causes, the simple solution is to stop drilling and shift towards renewable energy.
Renewable energy is a nonnegotiable inevitability; we will run out of fossil fuels eventually, and sooner, rather than later. But the U.S. can be ahead of the game, while also avoiding natural and economic disasters, by shifting to renewable energy, instead of continuing to drill and worsen the problem.
For all these reasons, I urge you to reconsider your decision to continue drilling oil, and consider a healthier, more sustainable alternative for our future.
Sincerely,
Penny Kim
