Science's Connection to the Election

Offshore Drilling –

 

            Offshore drilling is the mining the raw materials that are found underwater close to a shoreline. Currently, offshore drilling is present in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, near the coasts of Brazil, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, and adjacent to Nigeria, Angola and South East Asia. It provides the same resources as drilling on land, however it is somewhat harder to manage and risks more environmental impacts. When drilling offshore, there is a possibility of oil spills, as well as hazardous dumping into the surrounding ocean or sea; this includes drilling fluid, chemicals used in oil production and metal cuttings from platforms. Whether we should drill off of our coasts or not is still being disputed and the candidates have been flip-flopping between opinions.

 

            Barack Obama is against offshore drilling in general, although he has said that he would accept a compromise on the subject if it were a small price to pay for an outcome of lower prices on energy. He believes that offshore drilling should not become a quick fix or a solution to our energy issues, but that it should be a temporary answer to give more of an opportunity to researching better and more advanced ways of improving our country’s energy management. He is considered to be flip-flopping about his opinion, although he denies it.

 

            John McCain supports drilling of off our coasts seemingly whole-heartedly. He has said that wee need offshore drilling immediately to ease the energy crisis that this country is currently experiencing. He has been aiming to terminate the current ban on offshore drilling. In his opinion, offshore drilling is required to control the gas and oil prices so that they will be more accommodative to the American public. He has been accused of flip-flopping, but not as drastically as Obama.

 

            I agree with Barack Obama. I believe that offshore drilling can be extremely harmful to our environment, but right now, it is one of our only options. I do think that we need to put more effort into finding alternative energy sources but until then we need to find temporary solutions to the major issues that America is enduring.

 

 

Nuclear Weapons –

 

            Nuclear weapons are different explosive devices that harness the power of nuclear reactions. They are known to cause big explosions and have earned the names of weapons of mass destruction. Ever since the first appearance of a nuclear weapon, their control and usage have been major topics of discussion within politics. The extent of their power within the military has caused the legalization of nuclear weapons in different countries all over the world to be a great dispute. The choice of whether or not to participate in nuclear warfare remains in the hands of the head of government in each particular country.

 

            Barack Obama strongly opposes the use of nuclear weaponry for any reason. He believes that it is time to eliminate any possibilities of nuclear warfare by sending out a message that America does not support any use of nuclear weapons and will not react to any attack by using nuclear energy. He knows that he cannot eliminate nuclear weapons from the world suddenly, but he hopes to affect other countries over time if he is elected to be president. Senator Obama has said that the eradication of nuclear weaponry is a matter of security and the wellbeing of future generations.

 

            John McCain may not strongly oppose nuclear weapons, but he does not support it either. He has said that to think that nuclear weapons will never be present in war ever again would be an inept fantasy. He believes that we should not try to rid the world of nuclear weapons completely, but that reducing the usage and discussion would be a more realistic solution. He has also proposed that we speak to other countries regarding nuclear weapons and their views on them.

 

            I do not particularly agree with either of the candidates. I’m not sure that I have an answer, because I agree with McCain that we have to be prepared in the case of a nuclear attack, but I disagree with him because he has said that it would be impossible to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

 

 

Global Warming –

 

            Global warming refers to the fact that the earth’s average temperature per year has risen drastically in the last few centuries. It is said to be caused by greenhouse effect, as well as natural events such as solar variation and volcanoes. Over thirty scientific societies and academies of science have supported these claims. Its predicted effects include eliminating certain species, create a drought around the Southwest and raise sea levels.

 

            Barack Obama believes that global warming is an outcome of humans’ interaction with our environment. He plans to increase our efficiency in energy, give America independence in the oil industry, creating a global-warming partnership across the world to raise awareness in other countries, especially the poorer nations that will be dramatically affected in the form of famine and drought.

 

            John McCain plans to make a system to reduce the release of greenhouse gases in our country. He believes that our solution to global warming should be shared with the rest of the world. He has said that by making the program to solve global warming should be based purely on science and should use a trade-system.

 

            I agree with Barack Obama, we need to drastically improve our dependency on energy and find a solution to global warming, as well as raise awareness to other countries.