QUESTION OF THE WEEK #4

If not the biggest, than one of the biggest political issues facing Virginia right now is the question of energy and whether we should continue off-shore drilling on the coast of our state.  Ever since the BP oil spill in the Gulf, environmentalists and Democrats alike have been very anti-drilling.  They are readily trying to prevent drilling from happening to protect the environment and people along the coast.  President Obama has actually supported their position and has made moves to halt drilling on the Virginian coast.  The Democrats have provided a plan for new energy that Republicans argue will hurt the coal-mining industry.  Republicans disagree with the Democrats on issues of drilling on the Virginian coast.  They believe that Obama is making a mistake by trying to halt oil drilling, because the price of oil will raise greatly.  They believe that safe and carefully planned drilling that won't harm the environment or the people of the region is completely acceptable.  The search for new sources of energy continues, and as they're found they're more increasingly judged on how their affect the different industries of our nation.  Virginia is just one example of a state that's facing controversies over oil drilling, especially with environmentalists all over drillers because of the havoc wreaked by BP on the population of aquatic life in the oil spill.