Protesters and elected officials say “No, Baby, No” to off-shore oil drilling in Florida
source: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/02/14/protestors-and-elected-officials-say-%...
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- CLGreen
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Over 2,500 activists gathered on beaches from Clearwater to Fort DeSoto in part of a statewide protest of off-shore oil drilling on Saturday. In an event called Hands Across the Sand, crowds of people from all backgrounds and political leanings joined together to oppose the possibility of oil drilling as near as 3-10 miles off Florida’s coast.
In a bi-partisan press conference before the protest, Republicans and Democrats united with a common message—preserve Florida’s beaches to preserve Florida’s economy.
“There is no good reason to risk our economy,” U.S. Senator Bill Nelson wrote in a statement read by his Regional Director Shahra Anderson. He said it involves too many risks for an outcome that will do nothing to lower the price of gas.
Tourism adds $65 billion per year to the state’s economy. In 2009, a tough economic year, 200,000 less tourists visited Pinellas County than the year before. Off-shore oil drilling might completely wash away the already fragile tourist economy.
State Representative Jim Frisch agreed. “We have a $7 billion tourist economy here in Pinellas County alone,” Frisch noted. “We can’t risk that.”
Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch voiced his concerns for the Tampa Bay area economy and for the environment Floridians enjoy. “Make no mistake about it. Near shore oil drilling represents a significant threat to our coastal environment, to our tourism based economy, and to our way of life as Floridians.”
Protesters on the sand echoed a similar sentiment. Protesters envisioning a clean energy future for the sunshine state disagree with continuing dependence on old oil technology. Many expressed concerns for a polluted Gulf and tainted Florida beaches. Hand Across the Sand participants dressed in black to represent oil that could pollute Florida’s beaches. When the protesters linked hands, a helicopter flew above and snapped photographs of the human oil spill. (Click on the link to read more.)
In a bi-partisan press conference before the protest, Republicans and Democrats united with a common message—preserve Florida’s beaches to preserve Florida’s economy.
“There is no good reason to risk our economy,” U.S. Senator Bill Nelson wrote in a statement read by his Regional Director Shahra Anderson. He said it involves too many risks for an outcome that will do nothing to lower the price of gas.
Tourism adds $65 billion per year to the state’s economy. In 2009, a tough economic year, 200,000 less tourists visited Pinellas County than the year before. Off-shore oil drilling might completely wash away the already fragile tourist economy.
State Representative Jim Frisch agreed. “We have a $7 billion tourist economy here in Pinellas County alone,” Frisch noted. “We can’t risk that.”
Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch voiced his concerns for the Tampa Bay area economy and for the environment Floridians enjoy. “Make no mistake about it. Near shore oil drilling represents a significant threat to our coastal environment, to our tourism based economy, and to our way of life as Floridians.”
Protesters on the sand echoed a similar sentiment. Protesters envisioning a clean energy future for the sunshine state disagree with continuing dependence on old oil technology. Many expressed concerns for a polluted Gulf and tainted Florida beaches. Hand Across the Sand participants dressed in black to represent oil that could pollute Florida’s beaches. When the protesters linked hands, a helicopter flew above and snapped photographs of the human oil spill. (Click on the link to read more.)
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EdJoyProductions
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Thank you reasonable people! The money that was to be invested in the environmentally devastating offshore drilling would be better invested in development of clean energy alternatives.
- 2 years ago
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EdJoyProductions
