Hands Across the Sand in Florida; Beaches Protected for a Decade in Oregon

Florida

Hands span coast against offshore oil drilling
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100209/NEWS01/2090315/1006/NEWS01/Hands-span-coast-against-offshore-oil-drilling

Take Action this Saturday to Save Florida's Coasts from Oil Impacts
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-letter/take-action-this-saturday-to-save-floridas-coasts-from-oil-impacts_40921/

"Hands Across The Sand" (Opinion Matters blog)
http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/opinion/2010/02/hands-across-sand.shtml


Oregon

Supporters cheer Oregon House vote to ban off-shore drilling for 10 years
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/supporters_cheer_house_vote_to.html

Offshore Oil - Bad Deals, Bans and Protests

California

Don't trade oil for parks
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_14352149

Oregon

Oregon House votes for 10-year ban on off-shore oil and gas drilling
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/oregon_house_votes_for_10-year.html

Florida

A 'human line in the sand'
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/columnists/a-human-line-in-the-sand-216473.html
“Floridians who don't want oil drilling as close as 3 miles head for the beaches this Saturday for the simplest demonstration ever.”
Also: Join hands to prevent Gulf drilling
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100207/LETTERS/100209780?Title=Join-hands-to-prevent-Gulf-drilling
“Our goal is to persuade legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist to drop the folly of offshore oil drilling. All it takes is one accident -- one oil spill. It is just not worth the risk to our environment and coastal tourism industry.”
Also: Protest aims at oil drilling
http://keysnews.com/node/20676

Virginia

Virginia's misguided rush to drill offshore
http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-op_drilling_0207feb07,0,6391655.story
“In the heated debate over offshore drilling, policymakers have […] largely ignored the coastal environment and economies that would be subjected to potential harm from new offshore drilling such as off Virginia's coast. […] It is disturbing that in their rush to drill, oil and gas drilling advocates in Virginia would oppose prudent studies on the impact of drilling on our precious Chesapeake Bay, our sensitive coastal wetlands, and our highly lucrative tourism and fishing industries that are completely dependent on clean beaches and healthy ocean waters.”

In Virginia, offshore drilling a bipartisan goal
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-drilling-virginia8-2010feb08,0,3211440.story
The space agency, which operates a launching facility on the Virginia shore, says drilling would pose a safety risk because of the rigs' proximity to where rocket components fall into the Atlantic."You'd think 50 miles out would not be a problem," NASA spokesman Keith Koehler said. "But for us, it is. It's right in the middle of our launch range."

Opposition to Offshore Drilling - East and West

NATIONAL

Offshore Drilling Will Not Wean Us Off Foreign Oil http://oceanswavesbeaches.blogspot.com/2010/02/offshore-drilling-will-not-wean-us-off.html

Offshore Oil Drilling Environmental Facts (eHow.com)
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5928010_offshore-oil-drilling-environmental.html

CALIFORNIA

Eco groups withdraw support of Calif. oil drilling
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6851425.html

Three articles on the announcement by Lt. Governor nominee Maldonado that he will vote no on the PXP project if it comes back to the State Lands Commission:

Lieutenant governor nominee to vote against offshore oil drilling plan
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/02/lt-gov-nominee-says-hell-vote-against-new-oil/
Maldo: No On Oil Drilling Plan
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/02/02/maldo-no-on-oil-drilling-plan/
Lt. Gov. nominee could cast vote on new oil-drilling off Calif. coast
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/03/Lt-Gov-Hearing/

A system in peril: Budget cutters again target the state parks
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yltualr2mo113c&xid=yltb8biuctdlee&done=.yltualr2mol13c
“This year, rather than proposing deep, painful cuts as he has for the last two years– only to have them rejected by popular outcry – the Governor has tried a different game of political “chicken.” His latest budget proposes to eliminate all General Fund support for state parks and replace it with uncertain funding from a highly controversial oil-drilling project that has been rejected twice. The Administration proposes to cut $140 million allocated to state parks and offset it with future revenues from oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast. So, the “fortune” of California’s state parks would be inextricably linked to an oil drilling proposal that already failed to get approval – not once, but twice in 2009.”

FLORIDA

Oil drilling could hurt offshore game fishing, researchers say
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/oil-25385-drilling-researchers.html

Statewide event opposes offshore drilling
http://www.tbnweekly.com/front_page/content_articles/020310_fpg-01.txt

Protesters oppose offshore drilling
http://sealitsoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/protesters-oppose-offshore-drilling.html

End Big Oil's Royalty Boondoggle!

On Tuesday the NY Times published an editorial about a 1995 incentive that was given to the oil companies to encourage them to explore for new oil. It's questionable whether they ever needed it, but they certainly don't need it now in this era of much higher oil prices. What is clear is that the sweet deal for Big Oil is leaving a sour taste in the mouths of taxpayers that could cost the government (and us) $54 billion in lost revenues.

Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts is attempting to right this 15-year-old wrong with a bill that would clarify the law and prevent companies from signing new leases in the gulf until they renegotiate the old ones and pay royalties that are due. Many of these leases are now beginning to yield oil, which will remain free of royalties as long as Congress fails to provide the kind of remedy proposed by Mr. Markey. Make Big Oil pay their fair share!

Enviros Lobbying for Oil Drilling in CA? Oil for Roads in VA?

CALIFORNIA

Environmental groups battle over oil drilling
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/01/environmental-groups-battle-each-other-over-oil/
“Critics question whether the terms of the agreement can be adequately enforced. They argue if California were to allow the first new drilling in state waters since 1968 to go forward, it would send a message to the federal government that the state is now receptive to opening new oil leases off its coast.”

FLORIDA

Off Shore Oil Drilling Symposium
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/83312167.html
In a symposium held Monday a panel of eight experts from all over the nation gave their two cents. "Any time a resource is taken out of the sea bed, it has to be transported in some way and it's by pipelines. There could be a significant disruption of territorial displays," says Felicia Coleman, Director of FSU's Coastal and Marine Lab.

VIRGINIA

Offshore drilling-royalties plan advances
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/offshore-drillingroyalties-plan-advances

How much are you paying Exxon Mobil?

Source: Environmental Law Institute (.pdf)

Last night while heading home from work I heard on the radio that America's biggest company Exxon Mobil's 4th quarter profits were down 23% to a measly $6 billion. Before you start feeling too bad for them remember that in 2008 when oil prices rose to $100 barrel, Exxon Mobil became the world’s most profitable corporation with earnings over $45 billion.

What's amazing to me is that despite these incredible profits, we continue to subsidize these hugely profitable and highly polluting companies.

The graph above makes is pretty clear that part of the transition from carbon-based fossil fuels to renewables will require that we stop subsidizing the most profitable and polluting companies and move that support to renewable energy sector.

Oil Versus Seafood in Alaska; Protecting Beaches and a Marine Sanctuary in Florida

Alaska

Oil Versus Your Seafood: Breaking the bounty of Bristol Bay
http://news.discovery.com/earth/oil-versus-your-seafood-breaking-the-bounty-of-bristol-bay.html
"The U.S. Mineral Management Service predicts oil drilling is expected to generate $7 billion over 25 to 40 years. Yet sustainable fisheries in the bay and the southeast Bering Sea that could be affected by drilling are valued at more than $2 billion every year, according to the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. The potential for environmental disaster is real. The Interior Department’s own environmental assessment predicts one large oil spill and numerous smaller spills during the undetermined amount of time that oil projects would continue. A large spill could contaminate Bristol Bay’s shores, inter-tidal waters and fish habitat for many years. Bristol Bay is too valuable to risk harming. Let’s not sacrifice our seafood and an ecological treasure for oil."

Florida

Marine sanctuary advisors to hear drilling report
http://www.keysnet.com/news/story/183481.html
“The sanctuary council has a history of opposing any gulf drilling. A 2007 resolution declares, "We support the strongest possible protection for Florida and other fragile marine environments from the impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration and development." The council reaffirmed that position in 2009.”

Protect state's beaches, economy

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters_from_readers/2010-01-30/story/oil_drilling_protect_states_beaches_economy

Oil drilling bill must balance our interests
http://www.news-press.com/article/20100130/OPINION/100129044/1015/Oil-drilling-bill-must-balance-our-interests

Candidates Cold to Near-Shore Drilling http://www.theledger.com/article/20100131/COLUMNISTS/1315017/1342/SPORTS?Title=Candidates-Cold-to-Near-Shore-Drilling