Foreword
In his January 2006 State of the Union message to Congress, President George W. Bush pronounced that the United States was "addicted to oil." In fact, the country uses 20.6 million barrels of petroleum products each day — about one-fourth of global consumption. Over the next quarter-century, world oil demand is expected to rise by about 50 percent because of population growth and the consumerism that comes with it. About 20 percent of domestic oil production and 27 percent of domestic natural gas production takes place offshore. However, in 1981, Congress acted to protect America’s coasts, beaches, and maritime ecosystems…
