Congress is debating a bill that would open up oil and natural gas platforms just 10 miles from portions of Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts. It's putting pressure on state lawmakers to decide how close is too close to search for new energy sources.
As it stands, oil and natural gas exploration is limited to dozens of miles away from Florida's beaches and some in the state worry that allowing access just ten miles away, in Federal waters, puts Florida at risk environmentally without any of the financial windfalls.
Florida's Petroleum Council argues lawmakers should open up state waters, the first 10 miles of ocean and gulf waters beyond the shoreline, to oil exploration. Analysts estimate such a move could generate more than $1.5 billion a year in lease agreements and jobs.
"We know it's out in the eastern Gulf of Mexico," Council spokesperson Eric Hamilton says. "And we can get to that with a very small footprint."
Governor Charlie Crist has remained open-minded on the offshore drilling debate, provided platforms were largely out of sight and environmental risk was small.
"It's such an important issue that all the aspects of it, particularly if it would mean any revenue for Florida," Crist said Wednesday. "I understand that it may not. That would be a deal breaker."
Ultimately, voters could decide if near-shore drilling is in Florida's future. A push is on to put the question of opening up Florida's waters for oil and natural gas leases on the 2010 ballot.
"We've got this beautiful economy that every other state would envy," Audubon of Florida spokesperson Eric Draper says. "Why would we put that at risk for a little bit of oil that's not even going to bring that much money into the state of Florida."
Recent polling by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Institute find a majority of Floridians support drilling off Florida's coasts, if safety was guaranteed.
I CAN NOT IMAGINE ANYONE BEING IGNORANT ENOUGH TO BELIEVE ANY "GUARANTEE' (OR ANYTHING ELSE) BY BIG OIL AND/OR CORRUPT POLITICIANS THAT SUPPORT IT!
$1.5 BILLION WOULD NOT COVER THE LOSS INCURRED BY 1 MAJOR SPILL. THE DAMAGE TO MARINE WILDLIFE, ENDANGERED COASTAL HABITAT AND ALREADY FRAGILE MARINE ECO-SYSTEMS WOULD NOT BE REPLACEABLE.
IT IS STRANGE HOW NATIONAL AND LOCAL MEDIA FAIL TO REPORT ALL OF THE OIL SPILLS HERE ALONG THE GULF COAST AFTER A HURRICANE...
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE DESTRUCTION OF FLORIDA'S DELICATE ECO-SYSTEMS!
NO MORE DRILLING! WE NEED REAL ENERGY ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE NOW!
OUR GROTESQUE CONSUMPTION OF EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED BY EXTINCTION, POLLUTION, STARVATION, WAR, POVERTY, HABITAT-LOSS, DISEASE... WHAT MORE WILL IT TAKE?
As it stands, oil and natural gas exploration is limited to dozens of miles away from Florida's beaches and some in the state worry that allowing access just ten miles away, in Federal waters, puts Florida at risk environmentally without any of the financial windfalls.
Florida's Petroleum Council argues lawmakers should open up state waters, the first 10 miles of ocean and gulf waters beyond the shoreline, to oil exploration. Analysts estimate such a move could generate more than $1.5 billion a year in lease agreements and jobs.
"We know it's out in the eastern Gulf of Mexico," Council spokesperson Eric Hamilton says. "And we can get to that with a very small footprint."
Governor Charlie Crist has remained open-minded on the offshore drilling debate, provided platforms were largely out of sight and environmental risk was small.
"It's such an important issue that all the aspects of it, particularly if it would mean any revenue for Florida," Crist said Wednesday. "I understand that it may not. That would be a deal breaker."
Ultimately, voters could decide if near-shore drilling is in Florida's future. A push is on to put the question of opening up Florida's waters for oil and natural gas leases on the 2010 ballot.
"We've got this beautiful economy that every other state would envy," Audubon of Florida spokesperson Eric Draper says. "Why would we put that at risk for a little bit of oil that's not even going to bring that much money into the state of Florida."
Recent polling by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Institute find a majority of Floridians support drilling off Florida's coasts, if safety was guaranteed.
I CAN NOT IMAGINE ANYONE BEING IGNORANT ENOUGH TO BELIEVE ANY "GUARANTEE' (OR ANYTHING ELSE) BY BIG OIL AND/OR CORRUPT POLITICIANS THAT SUPPORT IT!
$1.5 BILLION WOULD NOT COVER THE LOSS INCURRED BY 1 MAJOR SPILL. THE DAMAGE TO MARINE WILDLIFE, ENDANGERED COASTAL HABITAT AND ALREADY FRAGILE MARINE ECO-SYSTEMS WOULD NOT BE REPLACEABLE.
IT IS STRANGE HOW NATIONAL AND LOCAL MEDIA FAIL TO REPORT ALL OF THE OIL SPILLS HERE ALONG THE GULF COAST AFTER A HURRICANE...
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE DESTRUCTION OF FLORIDA'S DELICATE ECO-SYSTEMS!
NO MORE DRILLING! WE NEED REAL ENERGY ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE NOW!
OUR GROTESQUE CONSUMPTION OF EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED BY EXTINCTION, POLLUTION, STARVATION, WAR, POVERTY, HABITAT-LOSS, DISEASE... WHAT MORE WILL IT TAKE?
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