There are better alternatives to offshore oil drilling

Bush and McCain are now all keen on offshore oil drilling.

Yesterday, Bush urged Congress to lift the current ban that prohibits it. Then he blamed the Democrats for the high gas prices. (The good news: At least he didn't blame gay marriage.)

Meanwhile, McCain has reversed his position on offshore drilling, and is now for it as well. McCain wants to let each state decide whether to permit drilling off its shores.

But aren't there better alternatives?

McCain, at the same time, calls for the development of alternative energy resources. That's good. But why not just put all our money and effort into alternative energy and forego the offshore drilling?

After all, although McCain said recently that offshore drilling would be "very helpful in the short term for resolving our energy crisis," that's not exactly true. According to David Lightman of McClatchy Newspapers, "Opening America's coastal waters to oil drilling, as John McCain urged in an address Tuesday, is unlikely to provide Americans with more oil for at least seven to 10 years."

What if we took that money that would be spent on offshore drilling and instead invest it in renewal energy research and development over those same 10 years? By then it's quite likely that we could have the resources, technology, and infrastructure in place to be energy independent -- or close to it.

After all, this is America.

Or is it anymore?