No big spills

Here's a story you didn't hear or read about over the last few weeks: Major oil spills from drilling rigs and production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, even after thousands of them were raked by hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Damage inspections have not been completed, state officials say, so maybe something serious will be found but not yet.

Similarly, in 2005, as much damage as Katrina and Rita did on shore, there were no major spills from offshore platforms. Though numerous drilling and production platforms, as well as pipelines, were damaged, a federal study reported a total of 17,652 barrels spilled and no onshore impact.

In this case, no news is good news, and it undermines Democratic arguments against opening more of the American coasts to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas and particularly natural gas, the cleanest of fossil fuels.

But what really cut down Democratic opposition to more offshore drilling was the shocking rise this year in gasoline prices to $4 a gallon and a Republican campaign in favor of removing a long-standing ban on drilling off much of the American coasts.

Just a few weeks ago, the Republicans in Congress, and the party's presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, were getting a lot of attention and public support for their pro-drilling campaign. Even the Democratic candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, had to soften his opposition to offshore drilling.

Finally, House Democrats threw in the towel and agreed to let the drilling ban lapse.

The removal of the ban may prove temporary. If voters in November install a new Congress with a big Democratic majority and a Democratic president, a new ban may follow.

There's another, more important reason the GOP drilling victory likely will be forgotten: It was oversold in the first place.

Even if no new ban is imposed, it will be years before drilling begins and years after that before new oil and gas wells begin producing. And while new production will be helpful, it will not substantively reduce prices or American dependence on imported oil.
The U.S. Department of the Interior, led by a Republican appointee, said it could begin offering leases in some federal waters in the Atlantic no sooner than 2011, three years from now. By then maybe the worldwide shortage in offshore drilling rigs will be overcome, but even if it is, it will take another several years of exploring, drilling and (assuming oil and gas are found) setting up ways to get the oil and gas safely on shore.

So while the GOP can claim a political victory on the drilling ban, it will be years if ever before that victory actually does anything for the American people.

As we said, offshore drilling has proven to be safe, and the industry has a heavy obligation to keep up that record and the government to enforce environmental and safety regulations.

But let's not kid ourselves that more drilling will solve our energy problems.
It won't.

Austin American-Statesman

Get the word out

The statistics on dating violence among young people are daunting.

One of every four Texans between the age of 16 and 24 has either experienced dating violence or knows someone who has been victimized, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.

The deaths of two young high school students in Austin in 2003 and 2006 at the hands of their former boyfriends prompted the Legislature in 2007 to approve legislation requiring school districts to implement a dating violence policy.

The new law requires school districts to include awareness and education for students and their parents as part of that policy.
Having school districts adopt a policy is only half of the solution. The message needs to get out to the community.

Attorney General Greg Abbott recently announced his office will be helping to fund a National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline campaign. That is a step in the right direction.

Abbott's office will be providing funding to purchase educational materials for schools to use and help finance public service announcements on websites such as My Space and school broadcast networks. The message needs to be heard loud and clear.
Most people are well aware of family violence; dating violence is something that many don't hear much about. However, Texans should be on the alert for it, recognize the signs and offer help in those abusive relationships.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 percent of teens in this state and across the country reported being purposely physically hurt by their boyfriend or girlfriend in 2007.

That type of behavior is unacceptable and can escalate as teens become adults and get married. Soon another generation of children will be exposed to the unhealthy behavior.

Some early signs of dating violence, according to the attorney general's website, include screening of calls or e-mails, unpredictable mood swings, excessive calling or text messaging and isolation from friends and family.

We would all like to think such things don't happen to the people we know and love, but the statistics indicate they do.

Being informed and able to provide the help youths need to get out of such relationships is the least the community can do.

San Antonio Express-News