Offshore Oil Drilling, Fingerprint Requirements and the Impact of Clouds on Global Warming
President Bush urges Congress to overturn the federal ban on oil drilling off the shores of the U.S.
Senators plan to vote on a housing bill that contains a new federal fingerprint registry.
Scientists face challenges in accounting for the impact of clouds in global warming predictions.
1. ENERGY
President Bush urges Congress to overturn the federal ban on oil drilling off the shores of the U.S.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy Policy Myron Ebell on the folly of banning offshore exploration:
“…the offshore areas currently banned from development likely contains a mean estimate of 18.92 billion barrels of oil and 85.79 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that are ‘technically recoverable.’ Yet the United States is the only developed country in the world that bans development of most of its offshore gas resources. This self-imposed ban has put our nation at a competitive disadvantage with Cuba and China. Cuba recently announced that it has negotiated lease agreements with China to explore oil and gas production just 50 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida. The United States can’t develop resources in the FloridaStraits, yet Cuba and China can.”
2. PRIVACY
Senators plan to vote on a housing bill that contains a new federal fingerprint registry.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Center for Entrepreneurship Director John Berlau on who would be covered by these new regulations:
“…the requirements would cover a broad swath of individuals involved with mortgage lending. The amendment defines ‘loan originator’ as anyone who ‘takes a residential loan application; and offers or negotiates terms of a residential mortgage loan for compensation or gain.’ It states that even real estate brokers would be covered if they receive any compensation from lenders or mortgage brokers. This definition of ‘loan originator’ is so broad that even many part-time and seasonal employees may have to submit their prints to the Feds.”
3. ENVIRONMENT
Scientists face challenges in accounting for the impact of clouds in global warming predictions.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Iain Murray on the most sensible response to concerns about global warming:
“A sensible climate policy would aim to increase resiliency, not undermine it. Rather than seek to reduce the level of warming by a few degrees—which would not make much of a difference, anyway—policy makers should encourage “no regrets” policies that will allow the world’s poor to improve their situation, and thus acquire the resources they need to address any possible problems that could arise from global warming.”