A political football has been made of offshore drilling. What's behind this frenzy and what can it be expected to accomplish? Excerpts from recent articles reveal facts about motives and misrepresentations involving big oil, the Bush administration and public disillusionment. Five oil companies control over 50% of oil US supply and distribution. They hold 67 million acres of federal land and 80% of offshore leases now, but are trying to pressure Congress to allow them to control additional public land before the Bush administration leaves office.Lower gas prices for the American consumer are certainly not their primary motive. The way to break their deadlock on our economy is to support alternative energy sources and to conserve the use of energy across the board.

Tags: alternative energies, federal oil land, monopolies, oil drilling, profiteering, public expectation