This letter is in response to Buncombe County [commissioner] candidate Don Yelton’s suggestion to drill off the N.C. coast for oil, build refineries in the Wilmington area and build a petroleum reserve on top of the dioxin-filled sludge in Canton [“Create a Petroleum Reserve?,” Letters, Oct. 8].
In my opinion, this would only lead us into more situations [like] we witnessed in the last couple of weeks. Drilling for more oil isn’t going to solve the possibility of shortages in the event of any disasters. Drilling is only a bandage for our problem.
The better solutions are to research and implement alternative energy. We all know that fossil fuels need to be replaced with renewable and cleaner energy, and the longer this takes, the worse the situation [will be]. Also, I believe our automobile industry could easily manufacture cars that could get 40 to 60 miles or more per gallon. This could mean an increase of 30 to 60 percent efficiency and should happen in the next couple of years. That alone would be a great leap forward, if you happen to believe the big oil corporations that supply and demand are one of the reasons for oil shortages and price increases.
Also, Mr. Yelton, if you have never been offshore in the Gulf Stream in North Carolina, you need to charter a boat and witness this beauty yourself. Oil platforms have no place off our beautiful coast. As far as building refineries in Wilmington, this could only be disastrous for that area. And finally, [as for] building a petroleum storage tank on top of an already-toxic waste area with a floating foundation: I am a N.C.-licensed contractor and that sounds not only unsafe, but also very expensive.
Please, Mr. Yelton, review your opinion, because with a viewpoint like yours, I know of at least one vote you will not receive.
— Jimmy White
Weaverville
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