Oil Exploration Update: U.S. To Play Catch-Up With Cuba

Startlingly enough, it looks as if the time will soonall of our energy needs for about 18 years, or long
arrive when the USA will have to play catch-up withenough for all the leaders in the Middle East who we
Cuba in oil exploration. The diminutive and destitutearen't getting along with these days to go the way
communist enclave that serves as Fidel Castro'sof leaders everywhere who, we determine, are
personal cigar plantation now realizes that it hasirredeemably misguided.
enough oil reserves under its coastal waters to propNaturally, conservation societies have been galvanized
up its no-go economy for decades and, incapable ofinto opposition by the mere prospect of an oil bit
assembling the capacity to out the oil itself, the islandchomping into the emerald waters of our abundantly
nation has begun to license drilling rights to otherfishy coastlines in search of the liquid treasure below
countries, including China, the prospect of whichthe reefs.
alarms us, and Spain, the idea of which invites us toAs the debate bubbles on, we can only consider a
think of tapas.worst-case, best-case scenario. Worst case: we do
In wisdom wrought from its neediness, thenothing while foreign companies who don't exactly
resourceful islet has also offered to license Americanhave the most reverential reputations in ecological
oil companies.propriety drill away and, as time allows, send oil spills
Expectedly enough, the very prospect of Cubaslithering onto our beaches. Best case: we race to
scooping oil out of the ocean floor while America hascatch up with Cuba and maybe even preempt the
outlawed it for decades has enkindled hot debate inill-advised entanglements that might otherwise drill
Congress about the present wisdom of ourdown into our hemisphere.
self-imposed interdiction. The debate has rapidlySince we're actually talking about drilling in our own
blossomed into a gusher partly because America hasbackyard pond, we might also, one hopes, do it in
even more proven oil reserves in its coastal waters,ways that are less likely to lead to the shameful oil
no doubt principally because it has even more coastalblights that fill us all with remorse and send fish and
waters.fowl off to tarry death - derelictions that strange
Persuasively enough in these oil-dear times, therecountries in a strange land might less assiduously labor
seems to be enough of the black gold there to meetto avoid.