Big Oil Pushes False Solutions in the Southeast

Right now, big oil and their allies are making a huge push to expand offshore drilling operations in the Southeast. They are working tirelessly to deceive the public about the risks and so-called “benefits” of rigging the coastlines. Elected officials, particularly those in the Florida state legislature, are hearing more from (and listening to) oil lobbyists than they are from concerned coastal constituents on this issue. Talk of drilling in the Southeast is even rearing its ugly head in federal climate and energy policy discussions, a place where polluting fossil fuels certainly do not belong.

Expanding drilling in the U.S. can never make us sinificantly less dependent on foreign oil. The United States contains only 2.5% of the world’s oil resources yet we consume 24% of them. Based on current consumption rates (20 million barrels of oil per day), even if we were to recover all of the “technically recoverable” oil in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic shoreline, it would only last the US 13 months. We could drill every national park, wildlife refuge, and coastline, and still need to import over 60% of what we would need. U.S. oil is only a drop in the bucket. The only ways we will ever reduce our dependency are to reduce our consumption and develop new clean energy sources.

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Full Speed Ahead to ???

Two stories caught my eye today. First was Spill is among worst ever on North Slope, discussing a 24-inch rupture in a pipeline that began pouring oil and water Nov. 29, creating one of the biggest North Slope crude oil spills ever, with a "working estimate" of the spill's size about 46,000 gallons of crude and produced water.


Then there was Offshore oil drilling gets go-ahead in Alaska's Arctic, which stated that the Interior Department had given the go-ahead for Shell Oil to begin drilling three exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea, a move that opens the door for offshore oil and gas production in the Arctic. "This is progress," said Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.


Uh...............right. We're making good time as we move down the wrong road.

County might not go with the flow on oil drilling (FL)
http://suncoastpasco.tbo.com/content/2009/dec/05/pg-county-might-not-go-with-the-flow-on-oil-drilli/
"That's just the other side of Anclote Island," Hildebrand said, referring to the possible three-mile limit for offshore oil rigs. Possible impact on tourism remains a big concern, Mulieri commented. Nor is it clear how much additional oil-drilling royalty revenue might flow into state coffers.

Drilling's economic impact (FL)
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/opinion/impact-23327-day-nov.html

Scott Maddox Says No, Baby, No on Oil Drilling (FL – YouTube video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jctOlMtm-dg
Also see Facebook page (no candidate endorsement implied)

Shell is overselling claims about arctic spill cleanup
http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2009/12/05/shell-is-overselling-claims-about-arctic-spill-cleanup/

Australian oil spill seeps into Senate debate about drilling offshore in U.S.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/69045-australian-oil-spill-seeps-into-senate-debate-about-offshore-drilling?page=2

Not the Answer in B.C. Either

Just as in the U.S., there are mis-guided proposals in Canada to drill for oil in near-offshore waters.

British Columbia has a long-standing offshore oil ban, established in 1971. The provincial government tried to lift the ban during the 1980s, but the Exxon Valdez disaster, spilling 40 million litres of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, scuttled that movement.

With the extreme weather along the B.C. coast, the potential for an oil spill there would be high. The Exxon Valdez spread oil over 2,400 kilometers of coastline, contaminating both ocean and land-based ecosystems.

Allowing offshore oil production in B.C. would increase pollution of coastal waters and place vulnerable ecosystems (such as the Great Bear Rainforest, and the beloved Spirit Bear) within range of potential oil spills.

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Report Says Beaches Worth More Than Oil

According to “Oceans Under the Gun: Living Seas or Drilling Seas?”, a report released by Environment America, clean beaches and oceans support a vibrant coastal tourism and fishing economy that generates almost $200 billion per year and accounts for over 4.1 million jobs in coastal counties. By contrast, based on a very optimistic scenario, the American Petroleum Institute claims that vastly expanded drilling off every coast might create 160,000 new jobs. Offshore drilling puts jobs that are dependent on clean beaches and oceans at risk from oil spills, a realistic concern given the two month spill off the coast of Australia that shows spills still inevitably happen even with new technology and good regulations.

At least 7 chambers of commerce on the West coast of Florida in jeopardy from drilling proposals have recently passed resolutions against the expansion of drilling because of the threat posed to tourism by oil drilling. For the full list of chambers of commerce, cities and counties that officially oppose drilling in Florida, see: http://www.protectfloridasbeaches.org/resolutions.html

Old Florida needs to let go of old ways
http://www.alligator.org/opinion/columns/article_c6cc7ea6-dd75-11de-b631-001cc4c03286.html

FL Commissioner Says Offshore Drilling Not Worth It–Does Argument Apply to Rest of US?
http://www.heatingoil.com/home/fl-commissioner-offshore-drilling-worth-itdoes-argument-apply-rest1127/

Oil Spills: “The fact is, these things happen”
http://hrsierraclub.org/2009/11/29/oil-spills-the-fact-is-these-things-happen/

Offshore drilling near Santa Barbara brings energy debate home (CA)
http://www.examiner.com/x-30760-Santa-Barbara-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2009m11d20-Offshore-oil-drilling-off-the-coast-of-Santa-Barbara

Offshore Oil Drilling Debate Renewed in Senate Hearing (US)
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20091119/offshore-oil-drilling-debate-renewed-senate-hearing
“Statistics from the Energy Information Administration say that in 2030, when OCS production is expected to reach its peak, it will reduce US dependence on foreign oil only 2.5 percent, which translates into three cents a gallon at the pump. In April of this year, the EIA said the U.S. imported 58 percent of its petroleum in 2007 and expects that dependence of foreign sources to decline over the next two decades. Still, the report says that the US produces 10 percent of the world’s petroleum and consumes 24 percent. If reducing dependence on foreign oil is a primary concern, say some groups, then the best solution is not necessarily to drill for more domestic oil but to reduce the amount of fossil fuels needed in the domestic economy.”

Transcript of Skytruth’s John Amos to Senate on Offshore Oil Drilling (US)
http://thatsmycongress.com/index.php/2009/11/19/transcript-of-skytruths-john-amos-to-senate-on-offshore-oil-drilling/
“In summary, offshore drilling is an inherently risky venture. Accidents happen despite the most technologically advanced systems. Nature can create insurmountable situations, and infrastructure ages and becomes vulnerable. Recent history shows that when things go wrong the consequences can become severe.”