Alternative energy IS the answer both in the short term and especially in the long term. And by alternative I mean energy derived from the wind, tide, sun, and thermal vents – energy that is infinitely renewable, does not pollute, and has the potential to be generated as well as consumed by the general public,
Drilling is NOT the answer for anything but higher gas company profits, higher gas prices, more oil spills, and rampant exploitation of land, sea, air, & people that should be protected forever. Once areas are lost, they may never fully come back.
Other forms of digging for energy that aren’t answers are nuclear, coal, and in a way, ethanol. These are dirty forms of energy, which not only damage the Earth but keep the process of generating power out of the hands of the public – making us all needlessly dependent on for-profit corporations who are the only source of fuel.