HUM111 Week 1, Assignment 1

To Drill or Not to Drill?

Tina Ann Scoggins

HUM/111

November 12, 2012

Kathleen Poole

To Drill or Not to Drill?

    In regards to the debate many Americans are having over the best method to meet the nation’s energy needs, I suggest the country to invest in renewable energy sources as well as continue drilling. It is imperative that the United States gain independence from foreign oil imports, particularly the countries listed on the State Department’s Travel Warning List that labels specific countries dangerous or unstable. These countries have lengthened conditions that make them hazardous or unsteady and our dependence on oil from them could have grave consequences on America’s national security, economy, and environment. (Lefton & Weiss, 2010) Investing in our renewable energy sources are clean, affordable, and would create more jobs.  (Clean Line Energy Partners, 2010-2012). The oilfield industry needs to continue as we will always need petroleum to fly our planes and various necessities, oil can gain profit through exports, and can continue to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The oil and gas industry also provides jobs for a substantial amount of America’s residents that get paid decent salaries to spend in their communities thus enhancing the economy.

    The habits that hinder thinking I fall victim to when looking at the opposing view and defending my own view of the drilling debate are the mine-is-better and resistance to change habits. Obviously I believe my point-of-view is much better and offers a well-informed and educated standpoint as I research other’s points of view on the best method to meeting America’s energy needs. I have been studying this very topic for quite some time now, and I feel as though I possess a wide range of factual, scientific information that influenced my position on the issue. I display resistance to change by rejecting new ideas and new ways of seeing the issue without examining them fairly. Instead of further investigating information in the opposing views, I automatically deem their insight as wrong and my opinion as right. In order to change these habits that hinder my thinking are trying to think more creatively and accepting the fact that perhaps my position on the issue is not necessarily better, and maybe their views could offer a number of great benefits to America as well. A person’s thought process can greatly be manipulated by perception. Perceptive skills are not always completely accurate and can persuade an individual to believe false information or concepts. A couple examples of how perception tricks you are optical illusions and magic tricks. Jumping to a pre-mature conclusion about someone or something due to a past experience can affect a person’s perception consequently hindering the thought process.



References

    Clean Line Energy Partners. (2010-2012). Clean Line Energy Partners. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from Wind and Solar: http://www.cleanlineenergy.com/technology/wind-and-solar

    Lefton, R., & Weiss, D. J. (2010, January 13). Center for American Progress. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from Oil Dependence is a Dangerous Habit: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2010/01/13/7200/oil-dependen...