By refusing to drill for oil in protected areas, is the US actually holding onto its oil resources so that in the future it can be the one with the monopoly when all the other oil wells around the world run dry?

It doesn't have any substantial reserves that could help now let alone by the time it's population increases. This is just silly.

shh... don't tell

No The world will never run out of oil. We keep finding more and more Oil and Natural gas each day. By not drilling in America we are just wasting our own natural resources and making Canada and the middle east wealthier

Don't I wish. It's a bunch of politicians and environmental wackos that know little or nothing about drilling for oil. If they're so concerned about it maybe they should buy a horse, betcha' they won't.

I guess that does make more sense than the government being spontaneously pro-environment. It actually sounds pretty smart, although whether or not it is true you'll still get the same response from the government. "no"

Perhaps it'll pay off all of our national debts, who knows how high they'll be by then.

That's giving the powers that be the benefit of forethought and planning. No such luck!