Jindal urges expansion of offshore drilling (LA)
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090923/NEWS01/90923006/Jindal+urges+expansion+of+offshore+drilling

Perdue indicates she's open to offshore drilling (NC)
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/sep/23/perdue-indicates-shes-open-to-offshore-drilling/

The Era of Xtreme Energy
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/09/era-xtreme-energy
“We possess just two options for shortening this difficult era and mitigating its impact. They are both perfectly obvious — which, unfortunately, makes them no easier to bring about: drastically speed up the development of renewable sources of energy and greatly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by reorganizing our lives and our civilization so that we might consume less of them in everything we do.”

Offshore Drilling: Risky Job Killer (VA)
http://augustafreepress.com/2009/09/22/erik-curren-offshore-drilling-risky-job-killer/

Decision due soon on Arctic Ocean oil drilling
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/09/decision-due-soon-on-arctic-ocean-oil-drilling.html

Offshore Drilling Deadline Meets 11th Hour Plea (Alaska)
http://www.ktva.com/ci_13388333

Groups spar over U.S. offshore drilling plan
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Oil/idUSTRE58K4YB20090921

Commentary: Coastal drilling is an option we must keep open (CA)
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090922/OPINION/909220310/Commentary++Coastal+drilling+is+an+option+we+must+keep+open
Notice how pro-drilling comments are often from inland areas? Visalia is in CA’s Central Valley, far from the coast.

Bishop Urges Expansion of Offshore Drilling
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705331552/Bishop-urges-expansion-of-offshore-drilling.html
And here’s a Congressman from Utah pushing for more offshore drilling. I guess he doesn’t have to worry about his beaches getting oiled.

Vitter urges no delays in offshore oil drilling
http://www.businessinsider.com/vitter-urges-no-delays-in-offshore-oil-drilling-2009-9
OK, so Vitter is from a coastal state (LA), but perhaps he feels they don’t have anything left to lose.

Who wants to Surf in Oil??? Photo Credit: Sasso

Last year, as many of you remember, there was an ill-conceived legislative to reverse three decades of Federal and state bans on offshore oil drilling, which have protected our state’s most treasured and valuable resource – its coastlines. This bill was advanced by, as noted by the Bradenton Herald, “a secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies.”

Read more on our Florida statewide blog...

Fears for sealife in Australian oil spill
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200909/s2691418.htm

Opponents ask Salazar to halt offshore drilling
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijmzoObcMDyeXXrne4t-7meTNxQwD9ARUIS00

Florida Energy Associates pushing for offshore drilling
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1242317.html
“They appeared in the spring, a secretive group trying to upend Florida's longtime ban on offshore drilling by promising millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs. The effort to allow drilling within three to 10 miles of beaches failed to pass the Legislature, but only just. Now emissaries from Florida Energy Associates are touring the state to campaign for overturning the ban at the next legislative session, either this fall or next spring. Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Orlando, says he'll sponsor a bill to allow drilling as close as five miles offshore.“

Perdue Looking for Advice on Offshore Drilling, Wind Energy (NC)
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3494151

Candidates Talk on Offshore Drilling (VA)
http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/59806487.html

Opponents ask Salazar to halt offshore drilling

Opponents of offshore drilling - including some dressed as salmon and a polar bear - delivered more than 250,000 postcards and letters to the Interior Department Monday on a proposal to open vast waters off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts to oil and gas drilling.

Read more in the Washington Post.

The final total was actually 280,000 comments on the new 5-year lease and made it clear that new offshore drilling is not the answer.

Offshore Drilling - The People Speak

Today is the end of the comment period on the Department of Interior’s Draft 5 Year Offshore Drilling Plan (2010-2015) which proposes new offshore oil and gas leasing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, two other areas along the east coast and several areas along coastal California.

In response to the end of the comment period, Environment America Oceans Advocate Michael Gravitz issued the following statement:

“Today, Secretary of Interior Salazar will receive more than 270,000 reasons not to drill in new areas off the Atlantic or Pacific coasts or the eastern Gulf of Mexico. We hope Secretary Salazar listens to the more than a quarter million citizens from around the country who have said that more drilling is bad energy policy and bad for our oceans.

Offshore drilling is still a dirty and dangerous business that risks catastrophic damage and chronic pollution to our stressed oceans and beloved beaches. For example, an oil spill that started on August 21st off the coast of northwestern Australia is spilling an estimated 3,000 barrels per day, almost 4 million gallons of oil so far; and it won’t be stopped for another 2-3 weeks at the earliest. The drilling rig and platform are all the newest technology, having been built in the last 3 years, and yet we now have an oil slick in the Timor Sea covering parts of 7,500 square miles, equivalent to an area the size of New Jersey.

Instead of new drilling in places like Georges Bank, the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Hatteras, the Georgia Sea Isles or off pristine California coasts, this administration should continue to emphasize energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind and wave power from our oceans. For example, the increased fuel economy standards announced by the Obama Administration last week will save us 1.3 million barrels of oil a day by 2020. An Environment America report to be released tomorrow will document more oil savings from increased investment in public transit. Finally focusing on developing renewable sources of energy in appropriate offshore areas will not pollute the ocean or atmosphere, will contribute to solving our global warming challenges decade after decade, and won’t make the problem worse like more drilling will.”

Surfrider Foundation also submitted comments on the draft 5-year offshore drilling plan and our action alert resulted in over 7,000 letters to Secretary Salazar.

Salazar says he may wait on offshore drilling plan
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijmzoObcMDyeXXrne4t-7meTNxQwD9APC9603