Whether we travel by car, bus or plane, oil is an important factor in most people's lives. Demand is enormous and prices have risen rapidly, forcing us now to look for oil sources in other countries or through offshore drilling. This essay will address the question from Taking Sides (2013) of “Should we drill offshore for oil?” First I will talk about the advantages of offshore drilling, on an economic and social level. Next I will talk about various arguments against offshore drilling, paying particular attention to possible environmental threats. Finally, I will say my personal beliefs, taking both sides into consideration. Baird (in Easton 2013) argues in favor of offshore oil drilling, stating that the benefits outweigh the environmental impacts and that popular demand needs to be met. He also talks about how it is impossible for us to become completely independent from foreign countries for oil, but we still have to drill offshore to regulate prices and meet growing demand. The main weaknesses of this argument are how it focuses too much on popular demand for oil rather than ethical concerns and how it downplays the possibilities of alternative fuel sources in the near future. Ethical concerns that Baird overlooks include the impact on the environment and worker safety, as accidents such as blowouts and spills are very common in offshore drilling, which harm workers and devastate the local environment. This makes Barid's argument less effective, because while his main concern is money and popular opinion, accidents and environmental concerns can end up being very costly, and alternative fuel sources are becoming increasingly popular. Rose (also in Easton 2013) opposes offshore drilling...... middle of paper...." I believe that instead of simply investing money in more and more drilling sites, we must instead invest in technologies and searches like those described above. Drilling for oil has many benefits, but it can also cause many problems. There is no clear answer to the question about offshore drilling, because both sides have strong arguments. Since we are so dependent on oil, we have to get it from somewhere, and from an economic perspective, offshore drilling makes more sense. However, we must also take the environment into consideration. This is why I firmly believe that we must use the precautionary principle and analyze the possible consequences on the environment before starting new drilling sites. What also needs to happen is for people to become less dependent on oil, developing alternative fuel sources and using more sustainable methods of transportation.