President Bush’s proposal that Congress end the moratorium on offshore drilling — a plan championed by presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain — has serious ramifications for New Jersey (see page 6). What else would explain the near-unanimous opposition to the proposal, from both sides of the aisle?

For once, almost all the legislators are in agreement with the environmentalists — and with Jewish teachings. Additional drilling — especially when so many acres that have already been licensed to oil companies have yet to be drilled — does nothing but threaten devastation to surrounding areas. As Gov. Jon Corzine has noted, previous surveys show that there is just not that much oil around the New Jersey Coast; and as Rep. Steve Rothman points out, even if there were, it would take 10 years for it to begin flowing, with minimal impact on our supply and therefore on the price we pay for gas.

Oil rigs are more than an eyesore. Accidental leaks affect everything from our ecosystem to our economy. With so much of New Jersey’s income derived from tourism, drilling along the Atlantic Coast poses a particular hardship to our state. As Sen. Frank Lautenberg noted, the incident several years ago when medical waste washed up on the Jersey shore had a chilling effect on the area’s economy.

This doesn’t even begin to address our moral responsibility to act as stewards of the Earth and preserve God’s world for future generations. Why should we — how can we — invest our resources in measures that continue to destroy the environment, all in the vain hope that, in the short run, we will save some money at the pump? Why not instead devote our efforts to finding renewable sources of energy that will leave those who come after us with cleaner air and oil-free waters?

Sen. Robert Menendez has said he is confident that Bush’s proposal will be defeated and has offered instead a resolution mandating that the ban on offshore drilling become permanent. For economic, environmental, and moral reasons, the resolution deserves to pass.