My car is an alternative fuel-efficient vehicle. My home uses a gas stove, furnace and water. The daily miles I drive are relatively few; I just go to work and home and do errands around town. Despite my best efforts to be energy-efficient in all areas of my life where possible, the cost of oil and natural gas is still overwhelming. Though I live alone, in just a few months my electric bill has more than doubled what it historically has been. My brother owns a small business that requires a significant amount of driving all over the Eastern Seaboard; reasonable gas prices would allow his business to grow and thrive. We need to more fully explore offshore drilling on our own coasts to offset these costs. Martinsville, Virginia, has been my home all my life. I have lived in the same home for 28 years and worked for the same orthodontist for 34. My employer actually uses solar in our office. Over the years, I have watched energy prices steadily rise and the voices of citizens go quiet as the voices of the corporate lobbyists and media have overshadowed them and our sense of helplessness increases. We are asking you to work to find ways to make oil and natural gas more affordable. Responsible citizens should be vocal and educated; this is something I am very passionate about. The use of offshore drilling should be at our disposal to increase availability and decrease prices for Americans. Unfortunately, many people are not knowledgeable about how safe offshore drilling actually is when performed properly. Please take a moment to review the safety statistics for well-regulated offshore drilling and support this monumental step to help Americans.

Vicki Edens