Professor of Political Science, UC Santa Barbara
Professor of Political Science Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, specializing in environmental politics
PROFILE
Eric Smith
Guest
FROM Eric Smith
To the Point
To Drill or Not to Drill The price of oil crossed the $100-a-barrel threshold at the first of this year. Last week, it hit a record $147, then dropped below $130. But it's creeping up again today. Nobody expects to see $100 a barrel ever again. That means high gasoline prices are here to stay. From President Bush on down, Republicans are advocating an end to the moratorium on off-shore oil drilling. High gas prices are increasing public support, even though there would be no direct impact for decades. We hear from Congressmen on both sides of what's shaping up as a major election-year issue. Would the declared intention to expand domestic supplies send the right message to oil producers and speculators around the world? Should oil companies drill first on land they've already leased? What about seizing the moment to get off oil and deal with global warming?
Which Way, L.A.?
Is California Ready to Rethink Offshore Oil Drilling? Offshore oil drilling is almost an abstract issue in California, except in Long Beach and Santa Barbara, where giant rigs dominate the scenery. Now the high price of gasoline has John McCain campaigning to end the federal moratorium on offshore drilling—in those states that approve it. Governor Schwarzenegger is opposed to the idea. State Democratic leaders today denounced it. But as many as 5.6 billion barrels of oil might be available off California—along with 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
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To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.