For many years the oil industry, their conservative buddies and other assorted money people have been promoting the idea that Americans can achieve energy independence by offshore drilling.   Some experts say the collective output of these offshore operations couldn't produce enough oil to handle more than a few days worth of U.S. oil consumption.  As we now see, offshore drilling comes with major risks to our environment and our economy.

Why are the oil companies pushing the idea of energy independence through offshore drilling? They want to keep us addicted to oil consumption.   Once we develop viable alternate fuel sources, we will no longer be at their mercy.  When we break the oil habit, we not only free ourselves from the oil corps., which in some cases are foreign or multi-national corporations, we also free ourselves from the price fluctuations caused by Wall Street (merchantile exchange) oil speculators. That's what I call true energy independence.