One of the major questions facing President Obama following
his re-election is the decision of whether to regulate or promote natural gas drilling in the United States. The Huffington Post article, “Natural Gas Drilling
Presents Historic Options and Risks For President Obama,” outlines the stakes
and conflicting interests involved. According to Charles Ebinger, director of
the energy security initiative at the Brookings Institution:
“If Obama fully embraced the boom in gas drilling
the nation could see ‘incredible’ job gains that could lead to ‘a
re-industrialization of America… But really embracing this stuff is going to
bring him squarely in conflict with some of his environmental supporters.’”
So, while allowing for more natural gas drilling could benefit
the nation economically by creating jobs and decreasing dependence on foreign
oil, the process by which natural gas is obtained, known as hydraulic
fracturing, is environmentally questionable. This dilemma provides a clear example
of the conflict between economic interests and ideology that often plagues
policy-makers and drives their decisions, as discussed in class on Thursday.
President Obama’s decision on this matter will clearly not be able to please
everyone – as Ebinger states, it will ultimately be a question of the type of legacy
he wants to leave behind.
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