The push is on. Fueled by anxiety over soaring fuel costs and the search for a quick fix to ease the strain, President Bush has asked Congress to lift the 27-year moratorium on offshore drilling.

But drilling in these restricted areas simply won't do what proponents claim it will. First, it won't provide that immediate relief at the pump — in fact, any impact from lifting the ban won't be felt for at least five years, perhaps more.

Even then, experts agree we can't drill our way out of this dilemma. The amount of oil generated won't be enough to deal with growing demand.

And is the oil industry making the most of its existing sites? Apparently not.

The bulk of the oil believed to lie on federal land and offshore sites already is, or will be, accessible after the required environmental review. A study by the House Committee on Natural Resources found that 75 percent of the more than 90 million acres of public sites leased by oil companies — including offshore — are not being used to the fullest for energy production.

That points to the fact that oil companies aren't doing enough with their existing resources. It's also raising some eyebrows and ire that big oil companies are trying to get more public land into their fold before the Bush administration leaves office.

Those suspicions prompted a bill in the House that would require companies to begin using their existing leases before receiving any more; a similar bill is in the Senate.

Congressional offshore drilling moratoriums were established in 1981 and have consistently been renewed to protect ocean resources and coastline economies.

Oil companies already have resources at their disposal. Rolling back decades of sensible environmental protections would produce no immediate or meaningful impact.

Congress must keep offshore protections in place and focus on renewable energy.